John Mozeliak was brutally honest with Dylan Carlson after abrupt Cardinals departure

The St. Louis Cardinals had no need for Dylan Carlson, a former top prospect, when they acquired Tommy Pham from the Chicago White Sox. Carlson had a solid rookie season, but quickly flamed out in the years to follow.

Carlson sounded open to a trade when the Cardinals acquired Pham. Frankly, the 25-year-old just wants to play, and Tampa Bay is a great place to sign on as a reclamation project. The Rays tend to succeed in that space, and could turn around and re-sign Carlson at a cheap price tag if he shows signs of turning his career around.

"It’s a hard question to answer because I just want to play," Carlson said through John Denton about whether he would welcome a trade. "We know how this game works. And, like I’ve said, this is all I know. For me, I just want to play, and I know what I’ve done to get here."

Carlson has been involved in trade rumors for the last two years, at least, with the New York Yankees floated as a popular destination. Instead, he will now take reps with their AL East rival.

John Mozeliak sends a message to Dylan Carlson after Cardinals trade

Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak had a great deadline, but did address what exactly went wrong with Carlson which prompted a trade for another outfielder.

"He had a very good spring, competed well, we had a lot of confidence that he could play on our club," Mozeliak said. "Unfortunately, he got injured in the second to last exhibition game in Arizona and never then caught his footing."

Mozeliak isn't wrong in that Carlson showed some flashes this spring. However, the Cardinals once-strong outfield depth was nonexistent by July, which is why he traded for Pham in the first place. Carlson is a better defensive outfielder, sure, but Pham has already provided a jolt to the St. Louis lineup.

Come playoff time (assuming the Cardinals make it) they will need the likes of Pham to contribute both defensively and at the dish. That was something Carlson struggled with, and because of that Mozeliak took a swing on a former fan favorite.