Cardinals' Offseason Swap With Nationals Looks Like a Steal

The St. Louis Cardinals pulled off a steal with the Washington Nationals.

May 19, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals pitcher George Soriano (65) reacts after gettin gate third out of the tenth inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

The St. Louis Cardinals found a diamond in the rough in righty flamethrower George Soriano.

This past offseason, Soriano was acquired by the Cardinals in a trade with the Washington Nationals. In February, the Cardinals sent right-handed pitcher Andre Granillo to the Nationals in exchange for Soriano. At the time, there were some questions in the fanbase around the deal.

Granillo pitched in 14 games with the Cardinals back in 2025 and had a 4.71 ERA in 21 innings pitched. Soriano pitched in 24 games last season with the Nationals and had an 8.35 ERA in 36 2/3 innings pitched. But the Cardinals clearly saw something in him and were right.

The Cardinals Won The Deal

May 10, 2026; San Diego, California, USA; St. Louis Cardinals relief pitcher George Soriano (65) delivers during the eighth inning against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Denis Poroy-Imagn Images | Denis Poroy-Imagn Images

Soriano has pitched in 26 games so far this season, which is tied for his career high in a season in the majors, and has a 2.92 ERA and a 22-to-10 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 24 2/3 innings pitched. It has been the best season of his big league career by far.

In his last 17 appearances, he has logged a 1.76 ERA and a 15-to-4 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 15 1/3 innings pitched. He has his ridiculous for the St. Louis and has quickly become a reliable and dependable arm in the bullpen for the organization.

George Soriano ERA by season:

2023: 3.81
2024: 6.75
2025: 8.35
2026: 2.92 💪

He has a 1.76 ERA in 15 IP since April 19th and has been a very reliable arm for this team. Heck of a trade by Chaim Bloom pic.twitter.com/0AwcZDXjKr

— Cardinals Stats And Facts (@STL_Stats_Facts) June 3, 2026

The Cardinals' bullpen hasn't been great overall this season, which has made Soriano's performance stand out even more. Right now, the Cardinals have the 17th-ranked bullpen ERA in the league at 4.28. Soriano has been so good that he actually has the second-best ERA in the Cardinals' bullpen of anyone who has made 20 or more appearances. Right now, Gordon Graceffo is leading the way for St. Louis with a 1.76 ERA in 26 appearances. So, Soriano is ahead of guys like JoJo Romero (3.54 ERA in 28 outings) and Riley O'Brien (3.95 ERA in 27 outings).

If you're wondering, the Cardinals also very clearly won the deal with Washington. Granillo has pitched in eight games in the majors so far this season and has a 9.64 ERA in 9 1/3 innings of work.

So, this was a deal that raised some eyebrows in the fanbase at the time. But now, every Cardinals fan out there should be excited. Soriano looks like the real deal and he's also under team control through the 2030 season. Chaim Bloom struck gold right away and this is a move that can have a positive impact for years.