Cardinals Lose 25-Year-Old Pitcher To Yankees After 3 Years

The Yankees recently plucked a prospect from the Cardinals in the Rule 5 Draft...

Apr 21, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; A St. Louis Cardinals hat and glove in the dugout against the Atlanta Braves in the first inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

The St. Louis Cardinals have attempted to buy and win for the last few seasons. This commitment to winning hasn't paid off whatsoever, as the Cardinals haven't sustained any sort of success in the National League Central. As a result, they entered the offseason with a clear direction in mind: a rebuild.

The Cardinals have a few moves they need to make to kickstart this rebuild. But it might not be moves in the direction that Cardinals fans want to see them head. The front office kicked off the offseason by trading Sonny Gray to the Boston Red Sox. They landed a solid return from Boston, but the moves likely aren't done there.

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The Red Sox are likely looking to trade players like Nolan Arenado and Brendan Donovan next. Donovan might be their most valuable asset, but he's also a loved veteran of the team. Arenado could be hard to move because of his contract.

But before they could make another move, the Cardinals lost a pitching prospect to the New York Yankees.

Cardinals lose pitcher Cade Winquest to the Yankees in the Rule 5 Draft

Apr 7, 2025; Detroit, Michigan, USA; New York Yankees baseball hats and gloves in the dugout out in the eighth inning against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: David Reginek-Imagn Images | David Reginek-Imagn Images

In the recent Rule 5 Draft, the Cardinals lost pitching prospect Cade Winquest to the Yankees.

Winquest, 25, was the Cardinals' eighth-round pick in the 2022 MLB Draft. He features an elite fastball with excellent extension. His fastball plays very well at the top of the zone due to his spin rate, too.

The Yankees hadn't made a Rule 5 selection since 2011 before selecting Winquest from the Cardinals. Obviously, the Yankees are huge fans of the young pitching prospect because a Rule 5 selection is nothing to gloss over.

The Cardinals could feel the pain of losing Winquest in the long run. While he might not have seemed like he was going to be a big leaguer in 2026, his stuff was good enough to want to keep around. If he can stay healthy, the Yankees might have landed themselves a hidden gem.

More MLB: Cardinals Predicted To Land Ex-Dodgers, Red Sox Veteran Pitcher