John Mozeliak’s final trade deadline as president of baseball operations for the St. Louis Cardinals went about as well as most expected.
In various other trading posts around Major League Baseball, fan bases were riding the waves of an eventful few days. There were a handful of surprises – Carlos Correia? Mason Miller? – amid several suspenseful games of will they or won’t they.
The Phillies would get their reliever, acquiring Jhoan Duran from the Minnesota Twins for a pair of top 100 prospects. The Cubs would not land the frontline starter that many MLB analysts expected them to pursue.
The Mariners and Padres would be quite active, sending significant messages regarding their postseason ambitions. The Red Sox would not do very much, sending their fan base into a tailspin.
And then there was Mozeliak, taking the nice, safe approach.
John Mozeliak Makes Expected Trades, Nothing More
In the buildup toward the July 31 trade deadline, armchair analysts around the league took their best guess as to what the Cardinals would do. Once it became obvious that they would be sellers, prognosticators began throwing stuff against the wall to see which trade pitches might stick.
But in the end, there wasn’t much that the Cardinals were going to do.
Trade away their pricey veterans, like Sonny Gray or Nolan Arenado? Those pesky no-trade clauses just kept getting in the way.
Take advantage of the desire for cost-controlled players, such as Lars Nootbaar, Alec Burleson or Brendan Donovan? That has never been Mozeliak’s style, and he wasn’t going to start doing it now. Certainly not unless somebody approached with an offer that he couldn't refuse.
Amid a mad rush for relief pitchers, the Cardinals had three that could be acquired for rental prices: Ryan Helsley, Phil Maton and Steven Matz. All three were dealt, bringing back a half-dozen minor leaguers who may or may not end up in St. Louis some day.
Gee, Mo, how very meh of you.
(In a quick side note, I found it interesting that the Yankees’ trade for reliever David Bednar involved their No. 8 and No. 14 prospects, along with a throw-in outfielder, going to Pittsburgh, while the Mets traded prospects Nos. 8 and 14, along with an unranked pitcher, for Ryan Helsley. Not sure what it means, just ... interesting.)
John Mozeliak Spearheads Another Uninspiring Trade Deadline
Honestly, this is probably how Mozeliak’s last rodeo was supposed to go. Uninspiring but necessary. Rather lame, but it could have been worse.
And who knows, maybe Jesus Baez will flash that power-speed combo at Busch Stadium one day. Perhaps Blaze Jordan will knock a few dingers into Big Mac Land before it’s all said and done.
In the meantime, Mozeliak enters the final two months in the role he has held since the end of the 2007 season. He has stated several times that he hopes to leave the organization in a stronger position than when he arrived, but it appears that won’t be the case, as the Cardinals will likely miss the playoffs for the third straight season.
Chaim Bloom is in the green room, ready to take the stage when he officially succeeds Mozeliak as the next POBO for the St. Louis Cardinals, and perhaps Bloom will have a few moves up his sleeve. Maybe this winter, invigorated by a new voice in the room and a fresh perspective over the organization, the front office will make some tough choices that can boost a stagnant franchise.
But one thing is certain. The next time a decision goes awry, it will be Chaim Bloom’s turn to shoulder the blame.