In December 2017, shortly after the Miami Marlins traded Giancarlo Stanton to the New York Yankees, they also flipped outfielder Marcell Ozuna to the St. Louis Cardinals.
In that transaction, the Marlins netted outfield prospect Magneuris Sierra, young pitchers Zac Gallen and Daniel Castano, and another future mound star: Sandy Alcantara.
Yes, the same Alcantara that is dominating the majors to the tune of a 1.82 ERA in 123.1 innings of work.
Ozuna had two good, but not great years on the Cardinals before landing in Atlanta in 2020.
That trade was magnificent for the Marlins, as they turned Gallen into Jazz Chisholm Jr.
In other words, they netted a pitching and a hitting star from the Ozuna trade.
Pretty sweet, huh?
All of this while the Cardinals’ rotation is currently in shambles.
“Sandy Alcantara heading toward a Cy Young while the Cardinals rotation teeters on the edge of a cliff is tough,” Cardinals writer Brenden Schaeffer tweeted.
Sandy Alcantara heading toward a Cy Young while the Cardinals rotation teeters on the edge of a cliff is tough
— Brenden Schaeffer (@bschaeffer12) July 6, 2022
The Cards Rotation Is In Shambles
Jack Flaherty and Steven Matz are currently out with injury, and the rest of the rotation hasn’t been that effective as of late.
During their recent three-game slide, the Cards have conceded 17 runs and scored just four.
It’s just one of those rough patches every contending team has to endure during a season, or at least that’s what fans are hoping this is.
The NL Central division is still well within reach for St. Louis, though.
At 44-39, they are just three games out of first place, occupied by the 47-36 Milwaukee Brewers.
It’s easy to imagine where the Cards would be if they had Alcantara last year, or this year.
He would have looked really good at the front of the rotation.
He was used as trade bait, however, and the Marlins are now reaping the benefits.
Leave a Reply