MLB's biggest offseason spender lands former Cardinals' depth piece in a sneaky move

The St. Louis Cardinals have yet to make an addition to their Major League roster this offseason, but the offseason's biggest spenders out in New York just swiped who was a part of their organization last year.

You may remember the name Jared Young, a member of the Cardinals' 40-man roster last year after spending his career up until that point with the Chicago Cubs. Young, who did not feature in a Major League game last year with the Cardinals, just signed a one-year Major League contract with the New York Mets.

While Mets fans debate whether or not Young or newcomer Juan Soto will be a more impactful signing (wink), it is interesting to see the club add Young to their big league roster just one year after the Cardinals bannished him to Triple-A. No one was questioning that move at the time, so not trying to play Mr. Hindsight here, but Young did post a .285/.411/.506 slash line in 74 games with Memphis.

Seeing no path for Young to the big leagues, the Cardinals allowed Young to sign a deal with a team in the KBO this past July, and Young went on to post a 1.080 OPS in 169 plate appearances overseas. It sure seems like Young showed enough in his sample sizes in Triple-A and the KBO to impress a really savvy Mets' front office.

While the Mets will catch headlines for the mega-deals they can make thanks to owner Steve Cohen and his endless cash, one of the smartest things Cohen has done since owning the Mets was bring on president of baseball operations David Stearns over from the Milwaukee Brewers. Stearns consistently built winners in Milwaukee on a small payroll through a great farm system and under-the-radar moves, so it is no shock to see him target someone like Young, believing he can have a positive impact on their roster in 2025.