5 moves the Cardinals made that worked out for the best, with John Mozeliak in charge

5) SP Johan Oviedo and 3B Malcom Nuñez for SP Jose Quintana (2022)

This was a classic Cardinals move. The Cardinals acquired an aging starter at the deadline to boost a team that was just hanging around in the postseason race. It wasn't exciting, but the cost was low and Quintana was enjoying a resurgent season. This was the same Jose Quintana who had played for four teams over the previous two and a half seasons. But, like J.A. Happ, Jon Lester, and many others, Quintana bolstered a floundering Cardinal rotation and ultimately helped lead the team to October. He was so outstanding that he was given the opportunity to start game one against the Phillies.

Quintana made his first start against one of his former teams, the Chicago Cubs. After allowing a first-inning homer to Patrick Wisdom, he was excellent at holding the Cubs to just one run. That home run was the first and last homer he'd allow in his tenure with the Cardinals. Quintana went 12 starts, covering 74.1 innings, without allowing another home run. He recorded a 2.01 ERA with the club.

The Cardinals likely haven't spent much time agonizing about the return pieces. Oviedo opened 2023 well but faded over the ensuing weeks. He was good enough to immediately draw comparisons to Gallen and Alcantara, though those ridiculous takes were rendered moot by June. Nuñez, for his part, is still toiling away in the minors, though he's now reached AAA. He could debut for the Pirates sometime in 2024. Even if Nuñez is a productive hitter, the Cardinals can rest easy, knowing that this deal gave their team the opportunity to compete in the 2022 postseason. It was just another example of an underappreciated move made by John Mozeliak.