4 former Cardinals who succeeded, and 3 who failed after being traded at the deadline

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For the first time in a very long time, the St. Louis Cardinals were sellers at the 2023 MLB Trade Deadline. While it was a frustrating position to be in, the club took advantage of a seller's market and made some great deals to accelerate their retool.

The Cardinals mostly traded away players who were impending free agents and likely would not be on the team beyond 2024. This presented very little "risk" for them since they were out of the playoff race, and anything St. Louis was able to get in terms of value was encouraging. So far, the results seem to be even better than anyone could have expected.

While the Cardinals should be very happy about their trade deadline moves, the teams they made deals with have experienced mixed results. The Cardinals made three separate trades with the Toronto Blue Jays, one with the Texas Rangers, and one with the Baltimore Orioles. The Blue Jays and Rangers are fighting for the final playoff spots in the American League in their final games, and the Orioles just locked up their own playoff berth.

Even if all three teams make the playoffs, some of the deals those clubs made will still be looked at as major disappointments, while others turned out to be excellent moves for their club, Honestly, when you look at the results that each Cardinal has put up since they have been traded, it's pretty clear whether or not they have been a success story for their new club or an utter disappointment.

Here are four Cardinals who have succeeded with their new teams, and three who have been failures

Jordan Montgomery: Succeeded

The trade that the Cardinals appear to have received the most value in return from was the deal that saw them part with their best asset: Jordan Montgomery. Makes sense right? Well, sometimes these kinds of deals can end up pretty lopsided in the end, but as long as the Rangers make the playoffs, both should be very happy about the results of this deal.

Since coming over to the Rangers, Montgomery is 3-2 with a 3.29 ERA in 9 starts for Texas. While the Rangers have had a hot and cold second half, to say the least, Montgomery has mostly been a steady presence for them, helping keep them in the race as the Mariners and Astros closed the gap.

Now, even if Texas makes the playoffs and even goes on a run, they still could feel a lot of regret in future seasons if Thomas Saggese and Tekoah Roby continue to impress as they have since joining the Cardinals system. Saggese looks like another awesome bat with defensive versatility, and Roby has the talent to be a front-end starter for the Cardinals in the not-too-distant future. It may take a World Series win where Montgomery is a major contributor for that to not sting badly for the Rangers.

Jack Flaherty: Failed

When the Orioles made Jack Flaherty their top pitching addition at the trade deadline, I was honestly a bit disappointed as a baseball fan. I like Flaherty and thought some contender should bring him into the fold (the Rays had a deal in place to do so until the Orioles swooped in), but I thought they should have been more aggressive and acquired a top talent.

Well, I'm guessing their front office would agree in hindsight.

Since coming over to the Orioles, Flaherty has a 6.68 ERA, making 7 starts before being moved to the bullpen recently. It's safe to say this has been a trainwreck for both Baltimore and Flaherty so far. There's going to be a real conversation about if Flaherty even makes their postseason roster.

For Flaherty, I think this stint in Baltimore kills any hope of him getting a long-term deal this offseason. I would look for him to sign a one-year deal with a savvy organization like the Dodgers, Giants, or Rays, and then try to hit the open market again after 2024 if he rebounds well.

Jordan Hicks: Succeeded

After starting the 2023 season in about the worst way possible for St. Louis, Hicks really turned things on leading up to the deadline, posting a 2.35 ERA in his last 22 appearances for the Cardinals and taking on the closer role in stride.

Since coming over to the Blue Jays, it's been more of the same from Hicks. In his 22 appearances with Toronto, his ERA is 2.25 but he has seen a dip in his strikeout rate, down to 7.7 K/9 from 12.7 K/9 in St. Louis. Regardless, he's been a weapon for the Blue Jays down the stretch and will be a key part of them finishing this season strong and any potential run in October.

Hicks is lining himself up for quite the payday this offseason, as his stuff has always been among the best in baseball, but he's finally putting together a near-full season of top-end production that any contender will want. He just turned 27 years old as well, so there should be plenty left in the tank for Hicks.

Paul DeJong: Failed

After rebounding from an awful 2022 season, the Cardinals were able to salvage some trade value from Paul DeJong after the Toronto Blue Jays had a surprise injury to their starting shortstop, Bo Bichette. Well, things did not last very long in Toronto.

In 13 games, DeJong slashed .068/.068/.068, having 0 extra-base hits and just 1 RBI until Bichette returned, and he was then released by Toronto. He was quickly scooped up by the San Fransico Giants, but struggled again, posting a .466 OPS with 1 HR and 5 RBI in 18 games. He was once again released and is still a free agent.

While the Blue Jays did not give up much value to bring in DeJong, that was about as bad of a run as they could have gotten from the guy they were hoping would provide them with middle infield depth. Hopefully, an offseason of work helps DeJong latch on with another team in 2024, but his post-deadline performance was really bad.

Genesis Cabrera: Succeeded

Genesis Cabrera had an up-and-down career with the Cardinals, and his 2023 season was the breaking point for his tenure. The Cardinals weren't looking to get rid of Cabrera, but his frustration with his role for the club made a change of scenery needed.

Since arriving in Toronto, Cabrera has made 25 appearances, posting a 2.57 ERA while cutting in half his walks per nine innings. Like Hicks, he's been a major weapon for the Blue Jays as they look to shorten games, and will likely have a big role for them in 2024 as well.

The Cardinals received an interesting catching prospect, Sammy Hernandez, in return for Cabrera, so time will tell whether or not he can make an impact for St. Louis. Sure, Cabrera has been great for Toronto and the Cardinals need bullpen help, but I'm not sure if he could have turned it around like he has in St. Louis.

Chris Stratton: Succeeded

The other piece of the Jordan Montgomery trade, Chris Stratton was a solid reliever for St. Louis. No, he wasn't a high-leverage reliever, but he's the kind of reliever you like taking the ball in the 5th, 6th, or 7th inning in a given game to help cover innings over the course of a season.

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Since landing in Texas, he has a 2.25 ERA in 19 games and has been a valuable member of their bullpen. Stratton should be rewarded for that play in free agency, and may even be a name that the Cardinals look to bring in to help reshape their bullpen this offseason.

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