This past St. Louis Cardinals offseason was dominated by Nolan Arenado trade rumors. He wound up staying in St. Louis for reasons that the Cardinals couldn't fully control, which is frustrating, but given some of the atrocious deals that St. Louis has made in its franchise history, holding onto Arenado might've been for the best.
Sure, the Cardinals have made some brilliant trades. They, somehow, acquired superstars like Ozzie Smith and Mark McGuire, to name a couple, for not all that much in return. They acquired Adam Wainwright as a prospect. Even the trade that got them Arenado to begin with was a steal of a deal.
With all of that being said, the bad deals might come close to overshadowing the good. Here are the worst of the worst deals this historic franchise has made.
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Cardinals acquire Sem Robberse and Adam Kloffenstein from Blue Jays (2023)
With the Cardinals out of postseason contention, trading players on expiring contracts, including Jordan Hicks, made all the sense in the world. Hicks was in the midst of an awesome season and was one of the best relievers available, but with him set to hit free agency at the end of the year, it made sense for the Cardinals to get whatever they could for him. John Mozeliak simply didn't get enough, though, in hindsight.
Why the Cardinals trade for Jordan Hicks is one of their worst deals
The simple reality here is that the Cardinals didn't get much of anything in return. Adam Kloffenstein spent most of 2024 in Triple-A with the Cardinals and made just one appearance with the big league team before they let him go. Sem Robberse was an exciting prospect at the time of the deal, but he's missed time with injuries in both of his full seasons with the Cardinals, and he has a 7.36 ERA in four Triple-A appearances this season. He hasn't made it to the majors yet, and with a slew of pitchers ahead of him on St. Louis' organizational depth chart, there's a real chance he never will in St. Louis.
So, to sum up, the Cardinals acquired a pitcher they were comfortable with walking as a free agent in Kloffenstein after just one MLB appearance, and they got a prospect who might not ever pitch in the majors for them. Robberse can prove me wrong, and it's not as if they should've gotten a star-studded package for a couple of months of Hicks, but this return looks quite underwhelming right now.
Cardinals acquire Ray Sadecki and Tommy Moore from Mets (1974)
The Cardinals traded Joe Torre, a player who had won an MVP award just three seasons before getting dealt, to the New York Mets in the 1974 offseason. It made sense for the Cardinals to trade Torre, an older corner infielder, when they wanted to create a spot for Keith Hernandez to fill in, but they got virtually nothing in return and watched Torre succeed in the Big Apple.
Why the Cardinals trade for Ray Sadecki and Tommy Moore is one of their worst deals
The Cardinals traded a player who was still productive for essentially scraps. It made sense for them to create room for Hernandez, a future star, but they simply had to get more than they did.
Ray Sadecki threw a total of 11 innings across eight appearances for the Cardinals in the 1975 campaign before getting traded to the Atlanta Braves in May of that season. Tommy Moore threw 18.2 innings across 10 appearances in 1975 before getting traded to the Texas Rangers in June of that season. So, yes, the Cardinals traded Torre, a player who hit over .300 with a .764 OPS in 1976, to the Mets, in exchange for two players who wouldn't even last half a season in St. Louis. Torre might not have had a future in St. Louis, but the Cardinals could've traded him for players who did.
Cardinals acquire Erick Fedde and Tommy Pham from White Sox (2024)
The next deal was a bit more complicated, as it was a three-teamer involving the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Chicago White Sox. The Cardinals were hoping to make it to the postseason and thought they were filling two major holes by acquiring Erick Fedde and Tommy Pham essentially for an injured Tommy Edman. In hindsight, though, the deal looks quite bad.
Why the Cardinals trade for Erick Fedde and Tommy Pham is one of their worst deals
This is a two-part answer. First, the Cardinals didn't quite get the return they expected. Tommy Pham struggled to the point where he was DFA'd just a month after being acquired, and Fedde, while decent, hasn't been nearly as good in St. Louis as he was with the White Sox prior to the deal. The team also missed the postseason, which hurts.
Second, Edman proved to play a crucial role in the Dodgers' World Series run. He was the NLCS MVP and had three extra-base hits in the Dodgers' five-game World Series win over the New York Yankees. This season, Edman is on pace to shatter his career-high in home runs and his .736 OPS would be his highest mark since his rookie year. He might not be known as a slugger, but has done more slugging with Los Angeles, and his defensive versatility gives him a ton of value.
Giving him to the Dodgers while allowing the White Sox to land Miguel Vargas, a young right-handed hitter who has begun to blossom in his first year in Chicago, hurts. The Cardinals traded the best player in the deal who played a huge role in a World Series run elsewhere, didn't get an exciting prospect in return, and arguably didn't get the second-most valuable player either in exchange for a player they DFA'd quickly and a fine mid-rotation arm who likely won't throw a single postseason inning in St. Louis. This was a bad trade, and with Edman extended by the Dodgers, it could look worse down the line.
Cardinals acquire Jon Lester from Nationals (2021)
The 2021 Cardinals' rotation was ravaged by injuries, so they needed to acquire arms as they made a push for the playoffs. They wound up trading very little (they thought) in separate deals for veterans J.A. Happ and Jon Lester. Essentially, they wanted to survive in 2021 while not giving up anyone who'd help them in 2022 or beyond. By trading Lane Thomas, though, they failed miserably.
Why the Cardinals trade for Jon Lester is one of their worst deals
Lester, in what wound up being the last couple of months of his career, was fine, posting a 4.36 ERA in 12 starts for the Cardinals. Where the team went wrong, though, was trading Thomas, a player who'd become incredibly valuable in Washington.
Thomas didn't play much in St. Louis and didn't look great when he was in the lineup, but he immediately had an .853 OPS in 45 games for Washington down the stretch that year and hit 28 home runs while posting a 3.3 bWAR for the Nationals in 2023. There's no telling as to whether Thomas would've broken out in St. Louis had he gotten consistent playing time, but trading him, a player who'd soon have a couple of All-Star-caliber seasons in Washington, for a couple of months of a 37-year-old who'd soon retire and not provide much value to St. Louis in his cup of coffee with the team is a bad deal.
Cardinals acquire Chuck Finley from Cleveland (2002)
The Cardinals were hoping to make a run to the postseason in 2002, so they made a win-now trade, acquiring Chuck Finley in exchange for outfield prospect Luis Garcia and a player-to-be-named-later. That PTBNL turned out to be Coco Crisp. Finley pitched pretty well for St. Louis down the stretch, and the Cardinals did make it all the way to the NLCS that year, but they didn't win the World Series, Finley wound up retiring after the season, and while Garcia didn't amount to much, Crisp turned into a really solid MLB outfielder.
Why the Cardinals trade for Chuck Finley is one of their worst deals
Shipping prospects out for only a couple of months of MLB talent only turns out to be a win for the buyer if they win the World Series, or if the prospect(s) don't pan out. In this case, the Cardinals acquired a pitcher on the verge of retirement, didn't win the World Series, and traded an outfielder who'd go on to be a strong MLB regular.
Crisp was never an All-Star, but he was a very useful player. He led the AL with 49 stolen bases in 2011, he had six seasons of at least 3.0 bWAR, and he even received down-ballot MVP votes back in 2013. The only way this trade would have worked out in St. Louis' favor would have been if they had won the World Series in 2002, or if Cleveland hadn't received anything notable in terms of prospects. Crisp being as good a player as he was throughout his 15-year career shows that the Cardinals missed the mark here.
Cardinals acquire Troy Glaus from Blue Jays (2008)
The Cardinals traded Scott Rolen for non-baseball reasons. He had a public feud with manager Tony La Russa, and wanted a change of scenery as a result. The Cardinals traded him for another really good third baseman, Troy Glaus. The deal made sense, but sit till looks bad in hindsight.
Why the Cardinals trade for Troy Glaus is one of their worst deals
Glaus had an outstanding first season with the Cardinals, launching 27 home runs and posting an .856 OPS. The problem, though, is that his 2008 season was really the only one he was with the Cardinals for. Glaus appeared in just 14 games for the Cardinals in 2009 and wound up leaving that offseason for the Atlanta Braves. Glaus was very good for one season in St. Louis, but Rolen still had much more good baseball left in him.
Rolen had a .786 OPS across five seasons after getting traded away from St. Louis, making two All-Star teams and winning a Gold Glove in the process. Rolen even received some down-ballot MVP votes for a division rival, the Cincinnati Reds, in 2010. It made sense to trade the disgruntled Rolen, but getting only one good season of a player in return, while Rolen was productive for another half decade, makes this a bad deal.
Cardinals acquire Mark Mulder from Athletics (2004)
The Cardinals made a major blockbuster in the 2004 offseason, acquiring one of the best pitchers in the AL at the time, Mark Mulder, in exchange for a package headlined by exciting young pitcher Dan Haren. It made sense for a really good Cardinals team to make a win-now trade like this, but Mulder was a massive disappointment in St. Louis and the Cardinals wound up giving up a ton to get him.
Why the Cardinals trade for Mark Mulder is one of their worst deals
Mulder had a good first season in St. Louis, posting a 3.64 ERA in 32 starts and 205 innings of work, but he was never the same after that. In fact, he combined to make just 23 appearances (21 starts) over the next three seasons and posted a 7.73 ERA in those years. The Cardinals got that one good year from Mulder, but they wound up winning the World Series without him making a single postseason appearance, and had to watch the return that the Athletics received, particularly Dan Haren, shine.
Barton proved to be a solid starting first baseman in Oakland and Calero was a good reliever, but Haren, eventually one of the best pitchers in baseball, was a big loss. He wound up becoming a three-time All-Star, finished in the top seven of Cy Young voting twice, and was a frontline starter for much of his 13-year career. What adds insult to injury is that Haren was arguably better than Mulder in 2005, proving how bad this trade actually was.
Cardinals acquire Matthew Liberatore and Edgardo Rodriguez from Rays (2004)
With tons of outfield depth and not enough spots to play everyone, the Cardinals elected to trade Randy Arozarena and Jose Martinez to the Tampa Bay Rays in exchange for prospects Matthew Liberatore and Edgardo Rodriguez. The deal made sense at the time, as Liberatore was one of the top pitching prospects in the game, and they seemingly had no room to play a guy like Arozarena. After seeing what Arozarena would become, though, this would be a deal the Cards would regret.
Why the Cardinals trade for Matthew Liberatore and Edgardo Rodriguez is one of their worst deals
In the shortened 2020 season, Arozarena was front and center as the Rays made a run to the World Series. Arozarena's first full season in Tampa Bay, the 2021 campaign, saw him win the AL Rookie of the Year award. Two years later, he was an All-Star. His career has trended in the wrong direction since getting traded to the Seattle Mariners at the 2024 trade deadline, but he's a historically great postseason performer (1.104 postseason OPS), and
Cardinals acquire Scipio Spinks and Lance Clemons from Astros (1972)
The Cardinals traded left-handed starting pitcher Jerry Reuss in April of 1972, really because he wasn't getting the job done in their rotation. He had a 4.43 ERA in 57 appearances (56 starts) across three seasons, so it made sense for the Cardinals to want to move on. Unfortunately, Reuss broke out elsewhere, and the Cardinals didn't end up getting much in return.
Why the Cardinals trade for Scipio Spinks and Lance Clemons is one of their worst deals
Reuss had an ERA just a shade below 4.50 in a Cardinals uniform, and he had a combined ERA of 3.55 across the other 19 seasons of his career. He brought the ERA down by nearly a full run over the next two decades, going from a back-end starter at best to a really solid starter for several teams. Reuss made two All-Star teams, was the NL Cy Young runner-up with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1980, and even had two seasons that saw him receive down-ballot MVP votes. Reuss is known mostly for the work he did with the Dodgers, but looked very good with the Astros and the Pittsburgh Pirates as well.
Had the Cardinals received a semblance of a good return, then this deal might've been fine, but that did not happen. Scipio Spinks pitched well for the Cardinals in 1972, but dealt with several injuries and was never the same. He was eventually traded to the Chicago Cubs after the 1973 campaign and never pitched in the majors again. As for Lance Clemons, he made just three appearances with the Cardinals and allowed seven runs (six earned) across 5.1 innings of work.
Cardinals acquire Cash Considerations from Rangers (2019)
Just three days after Designating him for Assignment in the 2019 offseason, the Cardinals traded Adolis Garcia to the Texas Rangers in exchange for cash considerations. At the time of the deal, the Cardinals were likely pleased. They got value, even if it was minuscule, for a player they were set on releasing. In hindsight, though, the Cardinals essentially traded a multi-time All-Star and postseason hero in exchange for, well, nothing.
Why the Cardinals trade for Cash Considerations is one of their worst deals
In most cases, trading a player for Cash Considerations doesn't end up being a big deal. The player dealt is a fringe roster player at best, so getting something for him is often a good thing. In this case, though, the Cardinals would love to have this deal back.
Garcia was a non-factor for the Rangers in the shortened 2020 season, but he made the All-Star team in his first full MLB season, and took off from there. Garcia has made two All-Star teams in Texas, has a pair of 30 home run seasons, has driven in 100+ runs twice, and, of course, was the 2023 ALCS MVP en route to Texas's first-ever World Series win. Garcia has had a down year in 2025, but he'll forever be a legend in Texas and one the Cardinals regret letting get away, especially for free.
Cardinals acquire Joe Ferguson, Bob Detherage and Fred Tisdale from Dodgers (1976)
Reggie Smith made the All-Star Game in each of his first two seasons with the Cardinals, but his third season got off to a brutal start, eventually leading to the team trading him to the Los Angeles Dodgers. Had Smith continued to struggle or had the Cardinals gotten a great return for him, the deal would've been fine. Unfortunately, neither event occurred.
Why the Cardinals trade for Joe Ferguson, Bob Detherage and Freddie Tisdale is one of their worst deals
Once he put on a Dodgers uniform, Smith immediately kicked things into gear. With Los Angeles, he finished strongly in 1976 and then proceeded to make the All-Star team three times in the next four years. Overall with the Dodgers, Smith had a .915 OPS in parts of six seasons and even finished fourth in the NL MVP voting twice. He performed like a superstar. Again, had the Cardinals gotten a return worthy of dealing a superstar away, things might've been fine. They didn't get anything close to that.
Joe Ferguson played in 71 games for the Cardinals down the stretch in 1976 and never played for the franchise again. As for Bob Detherage and Freddie Tisdale, well, they combined to appear in zero games for the Cardinals. Detherage spent 1976 in Double-A with St. Louis, and his only MLB time came in 1980 with the Kansas City Royals. Tisdale spent parts of six seasons with the Cardinals organization and never appeared in a big league game anywhere.
So, yeah, the Cardinals traded six years of a superstar in exchange for practically nothing. Not great!
Cardinals acquire David Green, Dave LaPoint, Sixto Lezcano and Lary Sorensen from Brewers (1980)
We're now in the unforgivable territory of trades made by the Cardinals. This one saw them trade a pair of Hall of Famers and a future Cy Young winner to the Milwaukee Brewers for a package nowhere near good enough. This trade has haunted Cardinals fans for decades and will continue to do so.
Why the Cardinals trade for Sixto Lezcano, David Green, Lary Sorensen and Dave LaPoint is one of their worst deals
Let's start with what the Cardinals gave up. Just four days after acquiring him, the Cardinals traded five-time All-Star Rollie Fingers. He'd go on to win a Cy Young award immediately after the trade and make another All-Star team in 1982. He didn't pitch long after that, but the immediate impact Fingers made in Milwaukee stung.
In addition, the Cardinals traded Ted Simmons, a six-time All-Star in St. Louis who'd make two more All-Star teams in Milwaukee and eventually make it to the Hall of Fame. Like Fingers, he only had a couple of great years in Milwaukee, but still - it hurts. Lastly, Pete Vuckovich, a solid starter in St. Louis, broke out in Milwaukee, winning a Cy Young award. All three of these players excelled in Milwaukee, and the Cardinals didn't receive much to get excited about in return.
Sixto Lezcano played well for the Cardinals in 1981, but appeared in only 72 games and that was his only year in St. Louis. David Green was a high-end prospect and a decent player for parts of four seasons in St. Louis, but topped out at a 105 OPS+. He didn't come close to reaching his potential. Lary Sorensen played well in 1981, but he, like Lezcano, departed after that season. Dave LaPoint was a solid contributor for parts of four seasons in St. Louis, but wasn't anything special.
The Cardinals traded three stars for four players who weren't in town long and didn't make much of an impact. This was brutal in hindsight.
Cardinals acquire Marcell Ozuna from Marlins (2017)
In an effort to make a big splash in their outfield, the Cardinals acquired Marcell Ozuna in a deal with the Miami Marlins. At the time of the deal, this felt like a major win. Ozuna was coming off a 5.7 bWAR season with Miami, and it didn't feel as if the Cardinals parted with too much to get him. In hindsight, that couldn't be further from the truth.
Why the Cardinals trade for Marcell Ozuna is one of their worst deals
Ozuna was a player in his two seasons with the Cardinals, but his combined bWAR in those seasons of 4.6 doesn't compare to his final season in Miami. Not only did Ozuna regress in St. Louis, but he's been better with the Atlanta Braves than he ever was with the Cardinals, and St. Louis wound up parting with a ton to get him.
Sandy Alcantara won the 2022 NL Cy Young award, and Zac Gallen has finished in the top five in two of the past four seasons. They're both in the middle of down seasons right now, but prior to the year were both considered among the best pitchers in the National League. Daniel Castano and Magneuris Sierra didn't produce much in the majors, but giving up two high-end arms for a couple of down years of Ozuna set the Cardinals back years. It's fair to wonder where St. Louis would be right now had they had Alcantara and Gallen in their organization.
Cardinals acquire Neil Allen and Rick Ownbey from Mets (1983)
Keith Hernandez was traded for non-baseball reasons to the New York Mets. Manager Whitey Herzog felt as if he wasn't giving it his all, and felt like trading him, a franchise icon, was the solution. Well, this trade couldn't have aged much worse for St. Louis.
Why the Cardinals trade for Neil Allen and Rick Ownbey is one of their worst deals
In New York, Hernandez played at an MVP level. He didn't win the award in New York as he did in St. Louis, but he was a runner-up once, finished in the top-eight three times, won five straight Gold Gloves, and led the Mets to a World Series win. The Cardinals traded the best defensive first baseman in MLB history, who also happened to be an annual .300 hitter in the middle of his prime and received very little in return.
Neil Allen was mostly a reliever for parts of three seasons in St. Louis and wasn't anything special. Rick Ownbey was also mostly a reliever and made just 21 appearances for the Cardinals in parts of two seasons. That was all they got for one of the best players in the game. It's a trade Cardinals fans still lament to this day, and for good reason.
Cardinals acquire Rick Wise from Phillies (1972)
If this isn't the worst trade in MLB history, it's pretty close. Steve Carlton wanted a raise, and the Cardinals, for reasons only ownership could possibly begin to explain, refused to meet his demands and traded him to the Philadelphia Phillies in a one-for-one swap for Rick Wise. The deal aged about as poorly as you might've thought.
Why the Cardinals trade for Rick Wise is one of their worst deals
No disrespect to Rick Wise, who, honestly, pitched well in St. Louis. In fact, in his second and final season with the Cardinals, he was an All-Star. However, trading Carlton, a future Hall of Famer, for a couple of years of a pretty good pitcher is really hard to come back from.
Carlton was a good pitcher in St. Louis and made the All-Star team in three of his final four seasons with the organization. Why they then proceeded to trade him is, again, a decision I cannot begin to defend. Immediately after landing in Philadelphia, Carlton put together one of the greatest pitching seasons ever, posting a 1.97 ERA in 41 starts and putting up 12.1 bWAR. This would just set the stage for what was to come.
Carlton won three more Cy Young's in Philadelphia and made six more All-Star teams. He wound up developing from a really good pitcher to one of the greatest pitchers ever. He could've done this in St. Louis, but ownership's refusal to give a modest raise to a pitcher deserving of one robbed the organization of that.