Fans bid "bittersweet" farewell to Cardinals' outfielder

Two long-time Cardinals have been traded from the team this offseason. Seeing major league players depart their teams each year in July is commonplace, but that doesn't make it any easier to see potential fan favorites be traded regardless of the circumstances.

Cardinal fans already had to bid Tommy Edman adieu, and they'll have to watch one more organizational staple depart in Dylan Carlson. Carlson was traded late on Tuesday afternoon to the Tampa Bay Rays for reliever Shawn Armstrong.

Dylan Carlson's story in St. Louis is a tragedy of sorts. The Cardinals drafted him in the first round of the 2016 draft, and he's been with the organization ever since. Once a top prospect in all of baseball, Carlson's career has been defined by a series of unfortunate events. He had to make his MLB debut in the funky COVID season, and he's been hampered by injuries and a lack of trust from some coaches ever since his promotion.

Carlson's 2021 season provided hope for a fanbase desperate for one of their top prospects to hit. He slashed .266/.343/.437 that year, and he finished third in Rookie of the Year voting. It's been downhill ever since due to a collection of injuries and him being passed on the depth chart by a handful of other players. A change of scenery is what's best for both Dylan Carlson and the St. Louis Cardinals' organization at this point.

Carlson hasn't contributed to the major league roster in two years, so his departure was inevitable. He himself admitted so throughout the day leading up to the deadline. Carlson said prior to the game, "You hear some stuff occasionally, but for me, I've just been treating this day like any other day...just waiting to hear something. So, yeah, at this point, I'm not really sure what to expect."

John Mozeliak spoke about the trade late on Tuesday as well saying that the decision to trade the former top prospect wasn't an easy one to make. Mozeliak discussed the importance of a change of scenery for Carlson. Dylan was going to be the Cardinals' 5th outfielder had he stayed on the roster. Brendan Donovan, Michael Siani, Lars Nootbaar, and Alec Burleson were all ahead of him on the depth chart, and it wasn't fair to Carlson to hold onto him and essentially not play him according to Mozeliak.

Dylan Carlson is under team control for another two years after 2024, so Cardinal fans will have to worry that he doesn't become another "one that got away" in Tampa Bay. This trade marks the second time this year that the Cardinals have traded an outfielder for a reliever from the Tampa Bay Rays; Richie Palacios and Andrew Kittredge swapped clubs during the offseason.

I wish nothing but the best for Dylan Carlson. Far too often was he on the short end of things here in St. Louis, and a change of scenery could be exactly what he needs to flourish as a player at the major league level.