Cardinals make head-scratching trade that fans are still trying to make sense of

Apparently Chaim Bloom is not done making trades yet. Jeff Jones, reporting from the St. Louis Cardinals' newly renovated Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium, shared on Twitter that Bloom dealt righty reliever Andre Granillo to the Washington Nationals.

The Cardinals traded reliever Andre Granillo to the Washington Nationals

On the first day of media access at the spruced-up facility, there was plenty of news as reporters got to see players in action for the first time since the end of the 2025 season. Beyond fans seeing players in the cage and seeing ambidextrous reliever Jurrangelo Cijntje throw with both arms, the action continued into the clubhouse as Bloom continued subtracting from the 40-man roster.

Andre Granillo, who pitched in 14 games last season, was in contention for an Opening Day bullpen role with the Cardinals but will not enter an open competition for innings for the Nationals. The 25-year-old had two options remaining, so even if he struggled during the exhibition season, there was the potential for him to be sent down to Memphis to refine his craft. Apparently, Bloom liked what journeyman George Soriano has shown in his 72-game major league career, as the 26-year-old will be coming to St. Louis out of options.

Soriano was claimed three times this offseason already (hat tip to Derrick Goold), but the Cardinals decided he had enough potential to swap another controllable arm for the reliever. The righty is armed with a mid-90s fastball but has struggled with command over parts of three major league seasons. When compared to Granillo, the swap is interesting for both sides. Granillo has less velocity but has demonstrated better secondary stuff as well as more palatable command of the strike zone than Soriano.

Both pitchers fared better in Triple-A last season, with Granillo putting up a stellar 1.29 ERA compared to Soriano's still-solid 2.32 number. Again, though, the now-former Cardinal Granillo performed above Soriano, even in the minors. While Granillo has struggled to strike major league hitters out, he punched out minor leaguers 36% of the time, while Soriano hovered around 29%.

They "why" behind this move is not yet clear because of Granillo's control and Soriano's lack thereof. The younger Granillo also has more closing experience than Soriano, albeit mostly at Double-A. Shipping him out could be a way of Bloom seeing an opportunity for Granillo to get major league innings that he may not have received in St. Louis, assuming the coaches in charge preferred Soriano's make-up over Granillo. It can be assumed that the deal puts Soriano at an advantage of sticking with the team through camp, since the Cardinals would not be likely to give up a controllable asset for a Spring Training body who would have to be exposed to waivers for any demotion.