Cardinals were planning to make blockbuster trade for this slugger before their reset

Since 2023, the highest single-season wRC+ for a St. Louis Cardinal is Willson Contreras's 127 wRC+ that he's currently putting up this year. The highest wRC+ in a full season was Paul Goldschmidt in 2023, when he finished the year with a 122 wRC+. Simply put, the Cardinals have been missing a tent-pole hitter, a middle-of-the-bat bopper, for nearly three years now.

There are very few true heart-of-the-order hitters in baseball. Cal Raleigh, Aaron Judge, Bryce Harper, Shohei Ohtani, and Juan Soto don't grow on trees. These power hitters, similar to power pitchers, are becoming ever more expensive on the open market. For the St. Louis Cardinals, a mid-market franchise, to have one of these players, they'll have to develop them internally rather than spend gobs of money in free agency.

The club has been unable to have a hitter like this since 2022 with Paul Goldschmidt, Nolan Arenado, and Albert Pujols.

This chasm in the middle of the order has made the Cardinals' offense almost entirely dependent on batted-ball luck for success. That offensive approach can be effective if players continue to get on base and move up on the basepaths, but it's also prone to slumps in the game. A flurry of singles can only go so far when it comes to scoring runs. A home run carries a lot of weight.

Therefore, the Cardinals were searching for a tent-pole hitter these past two years. One such player that the club explored was Brent Rooker of the (formerly Oakland) A's.

The St. Louis Cardinals once explored a trade for Brent Rooker of the A's.

Brent Rooker was a bit of a late bloomer in the sport. He debuted at the age of 25 in 2020 with the Minnesota Twins, but he didn't see regular playing time until 2023 with the then-Oakland Athletics.

It didn't take Rooker long to make his mark in the league, as he attended the 2023 All-Star Game thanks to a .246/.329/.488 slash line and 30 home runs on the year. He improved upon that line even further in 2024 with a .293/.365/.562 slash line, 39 home runs, and 112 RBIs. He finished 2024 with a 164 wRC+.

Rooker is once again hitting well with a .272/.348/.494 slash line and a 130 wRC+ with 21 home runs through 108 games this year. He's been one of the best hitters in baseball over the last three years; his 142 wRC+ since 2023 ranks eleventh in the league.

In one of his recent chats on STL Today, Derrick Goold stated that the Cardinals had interest in the 30-year-old righty. "At one point a year or so ago it sure seemed like Brent Rooker would be the answer for the Cardinals via trade, but that never developed because he signed an extension to stay an A and the Cardinals pivoted away from that approach that worked for them in the past."

Rooker and the A's agreed to a five-year extension valued at $60 million that would keep him with the club through at least 2029. There is a club option for 2030. According to Derrick Goold, that extension is what prevented the Cardinals from going further in their talks to acquire Rooker.

Redbird Rants' site editor Josh Jacobs proposed a blockbuster trade in November of 2024, the same time period when the A's and Rooker were starting extension talks, that would land Rooker for the Cardinals. In his proposal, the Cardinals would have sent second baseman Nolan Gorman, DH/OF Alec Burleson, and pitching prospect Tekoah Roby to the A's for Rooker. That would have been a lot to give up, but it would have given the Cardinals a truly elite bat while clearing up room for players throughout the diamond.

Alas, the Cardinals don't have Brent Rooker as their everyday designated hitter. Alec Burleson and Willson Contreras have provided plenty of offense for the Cardinals this year, but they still aren't legitimate power threats in the same way that Brent Rooker is.

If the St. Louis Cardinals want to continue to field a collection of good-not-great hitters, they can expect to float around .500 for a long time. If they can find a star to pair with solid offensive contributors, the club could see plenty of growth and a higher ceiling in the years to come.