Revisionist history: 3 awful trades the Cardinals wish they could take back

The St. Louis Cardinals were once one of baseball's most well-respected organizations. Now, they have turned themselves into a laughingstock.

The question is, how did this happen? How did an organization so historic and successful lose their way?

There are a number of reasons why the Cardinals have declined so drastically in recent years and why they are no longer considered a model of consistency. Much of it has to do with the decisions being made by the people in charge, namely ownership and the front office.

Three trades in particular have played a key role, and they are trades that the Cardinals likely wish they could take back.

3. Sandy Alcantara and Zac Gallen for Marcell Ozuna

The trend of bad trades began in 2017. The Cardinals had just missed the postseason for the second consecutive year due to a lack of power in their lineup.

Marcell Ozuna had just put together a strong season with the Miami Marlins, hitting .312 with 37 home runs, 124 RBI, and a .924 OPS. At the time, this seemed like a good trade for the Cardinals. In some ways, it was, as Ozuna played a key role in their run to the NLCS in 2019.

After a while, the trade started to materialize and look worse for St. Louis. They let Ozuna walk after 2019 and the slugger became a key piece in the Atlanta Braves' lineup. Meanwhile, Alcantara won a Cy Young with the Marlins in 2022 while Gallen emerged as a Cy Young contender with the Arizona Diamondbacks and helped guide them to the World Series last year.

With these two in their rotation, St. Louis could be a true World Series contender. In the end, it would have made much more sense for them to hold onto Alcantara and Gallen and add their power bat in free agency. J.D. Martinez was an option, but St. Louis didn't make a play for him.

2. Randy Arozarena to the Tampa Bay Rays

This trade isn't looking quite as bad as it once did for St. Louis. In that trade, the Cardinals acquired left-hander Matthew Liberatore, who hasn't panned out as a starter but has become a weapon out of the team's bullpen.

At the time though, it hurt. Arozarena made his debut with the Cardinals in 2019 but was traded to the Tampa Bay Rays the next year. In 2020, he would go on to win ALCS MVP and set a single-season playoff record with 10 home runs, leaving the Rays just two wins short of their first World Series title.

Instead, the Cardinals bet on outfielders such as Tyler O'Neill, Harrison Bader, and Dylan Carlson. All three have struggled to remain healthy for the vast majority of their careers, and only Carlson remains in St. Louis as he recovers from a spring training shoulder injury.

Arozarena would be a strong middle-of-the-order presence in St. Louis if he had not been traded. While yes, St. Louis had a glut of outfielders at the time, they bet on the wrong horses, and it ultimately has come back to bite them over the past several years. They still have too many outfielders, but none of them come close to Arozarena or Adolis Garcia.

1. Adolis Garcia to the Texas Rangers

Out of all trades the Cardinals have made, this one hurts the most.

Like Arozarena, Garcia became a superstar and was the ALCS MVP last year when the Rangers defeated the Houston Astros on their way to winning their first World Series title in franchise history. Garcia hit eight homers last postseason and drove in 22 runs while posting an average of .323 and an OPS of 1.108.

To make matters worse, the Cardinals gave him up for essentially nothing. All they got in return from Texas was cash considerations.

Garcia is off to a hot start in 2024 as well as he looks to help the Rangers defend their title. He owns a .315 batting average and .960 OPS with six home runs and 22 RBI.

A Cardinals' lineup with Garcia in it would be tough to stop, especially with other stars such as Nolan Gorman and Masyn Winn emerging in St. Louis. However, this is yet another case of the Cardinals making a mistake, and it is further proof that there is a serious organizational flaw in terms of developing and evaluating talent.