2 ways the Lucas Giolito trade will help the Cardinals cash in at the trade deadline

Late last night, the Angels and White Sox surprised pretty much everybody by hooking up in a trade that sent Lucas Giolito and Reynaldo Lopez to LA for two of their better prospects. Normally a trade for a rental starter and rental reliever wouldn't matter a ton to the St. Louis Cardinals, but this particular move is a little different.

The Angels have been the wild card at this trade deadline for a while now. The fate of Shohei Ohtani has been the talk of the industry for months with many wondering if the Angels were actually going to trade Shohei away given the Angels struggling to stay in contention and the seeming unlikelihood that he was going to come back to the Angels after this season.

Instead, the Angels decided to make one final push for a playoff appearance with Trout and Ohtani in the fold and to try and convince Shohei to stay. It is hard not to respect the attempt as teams don't get two generational players on their roster very often and no one wants to be known as the team that traded away a generational talent like Ohtani. It may not work, but you have to respect the hustle.

Here are the 2 ways the Lucas Giolito trade will help the Cardinals cash in at the trade deadline

Fortunately for the Cardinals, the Angels' decision to keep Ohtani and go for it in 2023 is a big boon to St. Louis. It was already a seller's market to be sure, but the specific dynamics and details of how the White Sox/Angels deal went down plays right into St. Louis' hands.

Let's take a look at how last night's trade will be a boon to the Cardinals.