Break out the list of all-time St. Louis sports swaps.
A new name is under consideration.
What could go down as one of the most brilliant trades in the history of STL sports finally is official.
Nolan Arenado is a St. Louis Cardinal, and the St. Louis Cardinals are once again a legitimate, heavyweight contender.
Now starting at third base for manager Mike Shildt’s team and occupying a key place in what had become a power-desperate lineup, Arenado will steal runs with his elite defense and create them with his damaging righthanded swing. He will sell jerseys, fill seats and make plays that make your jaws drop into your Cracker Jack. He will compete like crazy to snap the Cardinals’ streak of nine seasons without a World Series championship, because his eight-season major-league career has gone 1,084 regular and postseason games without a single trip to the National League Championship Series.
And for what?
For Austin Gomber, a 27-year-old southpaw who had good stuff but no guaranteed role in the Cardinals’ 2021 rotation.
For three of the Cardinals’ top-30 prospects, but none of their top five.
For agreeing to take on Arenado’s hefty contract, a commitment the cash-shedding Rockies were so interested in throwing overboard they are giving the Cardinals a small fortune, something around $50 million, to take him off their hands.
Maybe Gomber, Tony Locey and Jake Sommers become pitchers who thrive at hitter-friendly Coors Field.
Maybe Elehuris Montero and Mateo Gil become the next Luke Voit and Randy Arozarena, two former farmhands the Cardinals recently underestimated before trading.
Maybe all of these things happen, and Arenado still plays so well with the Cardinals that he goes down as one of the best trade acquisitions to arrive in The Lou.
If you think I’m being dramatic, check out the discourse in Denver, where the opposite end of Colorado’s all-time trade list is being updated.
“Now, I’ve only covered sports in our fair city since 1983, so it’s impossible for me to conclusively say that paying the St. Louis Cardinals $50 million to steal Arenado is the dumbest trade in Denver sports history,” writes Denver Post sports columnist Mark Kiszla. “But it’s got to be a contender.”
Here’s “Around The Horn” panelist and longtime Denver sports columnist Woody Paige to WXOS (101.1 FM) in St. Louis: “The Cardinals pulled off the fleece of the millennium. I think this is the worst trade for a team since the Red Sox sold Babe Ruth to the Yankees.”
Paige then said something just as bold around these parts. He likened the Rockies to the team on the losing end of the best St. Louis sports trade of all time. He said the Rockies are like the Cubs when they traded Lou Brock for Ernie Broglio in a six-player trade in 1964.
Let’s all take a deep breath. That’s too far, at the moment. At least on the St. Louis side of things.
I’ve got Brock-for-Broglio at the top of my list of best St. Louis sports trades. I imagine most of you do, too.
The trade checked every box. It was made between rivals, raising the stakes. Brock became a Hall of Famer who helped lead the Cardinals to two championships. Broglio, though I take no joy in saying it, was mostly a bust. What would have been a great trade even if Broglio was good for the Cubs instead became arguably the most lopsided baseball trade ever, one that turned into a phrase used outside of the sport. Brock-for-Broglio. Tough to beat.
If we are going to have this talk now, admittedly a bit prematurely, we must be sure to keep immediacy bias at bay. There have been some stunningly good trades in St. Louis sports, and a lot more really good ones than bad.
Don’t get me wrong. There have been some stinkers, too. None were worse than the St. Louis Hawks trading the draft rights to Bill Russell. Period.
But today is a happy day. We aren’t talking about the bottom of the St. Louis list. We are talking about the very top. It’s crowded up there.
Brett Hull was traded to the Blues. Marshall Faulk and Aeneas Williams were traded to the St. Louis Rams. Even when limited to just baseball, the Cardinals’ all-trade team includes Hall of Famers in Frankie Frisch, Orlando Cepeda and Ozzie Smith; Cardinals Hall of Famers in Joe Torre, Willie McGee, Mark McGwire, Scott Rolen and Jim Edmonds; and likely future Cardinals Hall of Famers in Matt Holliday, David Freese and Adam Wainwright.
There are champions and MVPs on that list. Arenado has won neither. Yet.
Let’s also be sure to give the present its due. Current Blues forward Ryan O’Reilly is at least tied for second on my list. Freed from Buffalo, he led the Blues to their first Stanley Cup championship, winning both Selke and Smythe trophies along the way. Now he’s the team captain. Does anyone know what those former Blues traded to Buffalo by general manager Doug Armstrong are up to these days? Me neither.
We must also not overlook pending cases. Paul Goldschmidt has been very good for the Cardinals. He should be even better now that he has Arenado’s help. Armstrong’s trade for Brayden Schenn is one of the more underrated excellent additions as well.
As for Arenado, the only sane immediate grade to slap on this trade is a big, fat A-plus. Chairman Bill DeWitt Jr., president of baseball operations John Mozeliak, general manager Michael Girsch and everyone else involved get shiny gold stars. A baseball obsessed city is buzzing.
Now, let’s see what happens next. Let’s see if the Cardinals kept from giving up a prospect they end up missing. Let’s see how Arenado recovers from that shoulder injury that sapped his power last season. Most importantly, let’s see if he sticks around despite opportunities to opt out of his contract for free agency.
If Arenado stays put, the worst trade in Denver sports history will have a fighting chance to go down as one of the best in St. Louis, even if the name for this six-player deal (Arenado-for-Rockies-salary-relief) doesn’t have much of a ring to it.
