Why the Cardinals did not trade these 3 players who were rumored to be moved

The deadline has passed, and with it, rumors, hope, despair, and agonizing anxiety follow. St. Louis felt like one of the teams hard stuck in the middle. Fortunately, a direction was chosen, and for the most part, fans and analysts have regarded the Redbirds as a “deadline winner.” 

However, a few names felt like shoo-ins to wear a new uniform by the end of the day on August 3. Rather, they remain Cardinals and will be aiding the team down the stretch. 

So while everyone “oohs and ahs” at the Cardinals’ new prospect bling, let’s take a look at what they kept, and why. 

Player 1: Ryne Stanek

Stanek, 35, is a St. Louis native who inked a one-year deal this past offseason. 

The Cardinals were buying low on a former top-shelf relief option. The thought process seemed to go: if it pans out, he’ll either net value or competitive baseball down the stretch, or, if his season falls flat, the money is slim enough for a DFA. 

Well, as of August 4, Stanek has -0.2 bWAR, a 4.74 ERA, and is only striking out 9.7 batters per nine. The K rate isn’t terrible, but most boom-or-bust arms, like Stanek, are much more dominant at their best. 

Home runs have been a problem, walks have been persistent all year, and his former whirlwind splitter has been seemingly lost to the ages.

So, why did the Cardinals hold on? 

Simply put, the innings Stanek will provide down the stretch were likely more valuable to Chaim Bloom than the packages offered. 

The Cardinals made it clear they will not be going for it. If they were, Lars Nootbaar, Dustin May, and JoJo Romero would’ve been facing the Yankees on August 4. 

The “value” in innings down the stretch comes in negating overexposure. The Cardinals have the most depth they’ve had in years–especially in the minor leagues. STL Sports Central/KMOX contributor and St. Louis legend Bernie Miklasz recently said it’s “the best he’s ever seen” the farm. 

If that really is the case, the last thing the Redbirds want to do is lean on still-developing arms for MLB innings in garbage time. You know when, in the NBA, a team is up by 30 points halfway through the fourth quarter, and suddenly the superstar you bet on for 40 points who’s at 35 is playing Angry Birds on the bench? 

That’s why the Cardinals didn’t trade Stanek for nothing. He’s the Tony Snell that saves you the risk of injuring players you’re actually banking on. 

When you trade Stanek, you’re also trading his innings to another internal option. The only Redbird prospect the team has put in this scenario is righty reliever Luis Gastelum–and it’s gone horribly. Before his promotion, he was unhittable. In MLB, he’s been a two-legged pitching machine. 

The talent is undeniable, but this is exactly the kind of outcome you get when a young arm is overexposed to big league competition before they’re ready. 

It sucks. When Stanek gives up the lead, or walks a leadoff man, or surrenders another bomb, fans have every right to be frustrated. Do keep in mind, though, before his latest blowup, eight of his last nine outings were scoreless. 

Is he good? Not this year. Serviceable? Maybe not even that. He is simply necessary. Like it or not, this is how rebuilding teams operate. 

Player 2: Riley O’Brien 

Building on the bullpen talk, Riley O’Brien, this year’s closer, was a big name on the trade market. 

After the first month of play, O’Brien looked like he’d solved baseball. Analysts had deemed him “impossible to gameplan against,” as it seemed like he’d go out, spam hard sinkers and sweepers, and nobody could hit him. 

O’Brien’s luck finally ran out in May, when he posted a 6.30 ERA in ten innings. Then, he followed that up with a 5.40 ERA in June. O’Brien went from hero-to-zero faster than his sinker runs to a Cardinal mitt–and this may have played into why he’s still here. 

St. Louis’ fireman still throws hard (averaging 98 mph on his heater), still gets ground balls (51.3% clip), has good extension (80th percentile), and has an above-average fastball and breaking ball, all reasons for why his price tag should’ve been set high. 

But by far, the biggest reason to offer up for O’Brien is his team control. Any team trading for the righty would get him until the 2031 season. You have to imagine that if someone wanted O’Brien, they’d figure themselves knowledgeable enough to factory reset him to his first-month form. 

Bloom likely set a precedent early: offer up or no deal–and teams called his bluff. Relievers are a premium at the deadline, and there were certainly calls made for O’Brien’s services. Thankfully, the Cardinals did the smart thing. They passed on the chaos and found peace in waiting. 

O’Brien has the scaffolding to be an avid contributor to next year’s roster, and with no clear challenger for closing duties, the Cardinals made the right decision.  

Furthermore, any success O’Brien has down the stretch (2.16 ERA in July) will only add to his value moving forward. The offseason is always open for trades if Bloom sees fit. 

O’Brien, for the time being, mans the ninth. And the Cardinals will continue to sit back and bank on his value rising, like a personal cryptocurrency that throws 100 mph with sink. 

Player 3: Alec Burleson 

Most Cardinals fans, and apparently Alec Burleson himself, rejoiced when the lefty slugger was never announced in a Jeff Passan/Ken Rosenthal/Peter Appel (shoutout) tweet. 

According to manager Oli Marmol, Burleson was so nervous that the Cardinal skipper took it upon himself to ease the tension. 

Marmol called “Burly” into his office, sat him down, and stared at him. Burleson, likely worried a trade was imminent, was certainly mulling over every possibility. 

The manager then extended his hand, and as the first baseman met his grip, Marmol let out a sly, “Don’t worry, you’re staying.” 

The sheer restlessness Burleson portrayed demonstrates his love for the Cardinal faithful and organization alike. 

He rewarded Bloom’s decision, or lack thereof, with a three home run game in the series opener against the Bronx Bombers. 

One off a Cy Young candidate, another off a lefty, and a third that got out quicker than you can say, “Holy cow!” (measured by Chip Caray’s attempt). 

Burleson isn’t just a building block because of his elite bat-to-ball skills, underrated power, alarmingly good analytics, or improved defense at first base: he’s the type of human being the Cardinals want in their clubhouse. 

Bloom certainly seems to believe that, as MLB Insider Joel Sherman had reported that Burleson was “among the favorite bats available.” Although it’s pure speculation, there were likely sizeable offers on the table. The Padres and D-Backs were two teams who came calling. 

The latter ended up surrendering two of its top-30 prospects for a struggling Nootbaar with less team control than Burleson. You can only imagine what their offer would’ve looked like to trademark “Burly Bombs” in the desert. 

After winning a Silver Slugger, Burleson has gotten better. And it seems like, with this final leap of faith–through a tumultuous week–the organization has fully bought into one of its best homegrown talents. 

Bloom definitely made an impact this trade deadline, even though he decided to hold on to a few more pieces than most expected. 

Brewers fans were aghast at the pieces given up for rentals May and Romero, and D-Backs fans felt similarly about the Nootbaar package. 

It’s hard to recount the last time the Cardinal front office left other teams shaking in their boots to shake hands. 

Bloom is putting the word “fleece” back in St. Louis style–and he did it without firing all his bullets.

You may wish the approach were different, but if you agree with the vast majority who are emphatic about the ROI for St. Louis, then give the front office a bit of trust, and let’s see how this all plays out. 

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