Fansided

The 10 biggest what-if MLB trades that never happened since 2000

By Steve Zavala

NEW YORK - APRIL 18: Alex Rodriguez #13 of the New York Yankees looks on against the Texas Rangers at Yankee Stadium on April 18, 2010 in the Bronx borough of Manhattan. The Yankees defeated the Rangers 5 - 2. (Photo by Rob Tringali/Sportschrome/Getty Images)
NEW YORK - APRIL 18: Alex Rodriguez #13 of the New York Yankees looks on against the Texas Rangers at Yankee Stadium on April 18, 2010 in the Bronx borough of Manhattan. The Yankees defeated the Rangers 5 - 2. (Photo by Rob Tringali/Sportschrome/Getty Images) /
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ST. LOUIS, UNITED STATES: St. Louis Cardinals’ Albert Pujols is congratulated by teammates after hitting his 13th home run of the season during their game against the Chicago Cubs 13 May 2001 in St. Louis. Pujols’ three-run homer in the seventh off Cubs’ Felix Heredia gave him a team-leading 42 RBIs. He was 2-for-2 with two walks, raising his average to .370. Pujols is a possible rookie-of-the-year candidate, leading the league in many offensive categories. AFP PHOTO/Scott ROVAK (Photo credit should read SCOTT ROVAK/AFP via Getty Images)
ST. LOUIS, UNITED STATES: St. Louis Cardinals’ Albert Pujols is congratulated by teammates after hitting his 13th home run of the season during their game against the Chicago Cubs 13 May 2001 in St. Louis. Pujols’ three-run homer in the seventh off Cubs’ Felix Heredia gave him a team-leading 42 RBIs. He was 2-for-2 with two walks, raising his average to .370. Pujols is a possible rookie-of-the-year candidate, leading the league in many offensive categories. AFP PHOTO/Scott ROVAK (Photo credit should read SCOTT ROVAK/AFP via Getty Images) /

MLB what-if No. 2: 2000 — Albert Pujols to the Montreal Expos 

St. Louis sports fans admire Albert Pujols for his unparalleled play in 11 seasons with the team and contributions to bringing the city two World Series titles. The fans truly do appreciate his time there.

But he may not have ever donned the red and white colors of the Cardinals had they traded him 20 years ago.

In 2000, the Cardinals were in dire need of pitching help after finishing the 1999 season with a 4.74 team ERA, which ranked 11th in the National League. They looked to the free-agent market and were in the running for Mike Hampton before he signed with the Colorado Rockies. Then they turned their attention to the trade market and engaged in discussions with the Montreal Expos for both starter Dustin Hermanson and closer Steve Kline. The Expos were showing great interest in a deal and due to their desperate need for a third baseman, they inquired about either Fernando Tatis Sr. or 20-year-old Albert Pujols.

The choice seemed clear enough: keep the stock-rising Pujols and trade away Tatis. The Cardinals, surprisingly, pondered the decision for a while. But when taking into account his prolific minor league Midwest League performances in 2000, where he hit for .324 with 17 home runs and 84 RBI, it was enough to convince the front office that Pujols might turn out to be a special talent.

If the Cardinals decided to move forward with the trade, they certainly would not have won the two World Series titles they did, unless they were able to somehow fill the hole of an 8.0 bWAR type player. And with the talent they had in the early to mid-2000s, they might not have been atrocious enough to be awarded a top-five draft pick, so they likely would have been stuck being a fringe playoff contender.

On the other side, Vladimir Guerrero Sr. and Albert Pujols on the same team would have created for the best hitting duo of the 2000s. And maybe, Pujols could have pushed the Expos into becoming a serious playoff contender year in and year out. Thus, baseball probably does not leave Montreal with fans likely packing the Olympic Stadium to see a winning ball club with two generational talents.

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