Inside The Cardinals

Cardinals-Padres Blockbuster Named Best Trade In St. Louis History

The Cardinals have won a few deals over the years...
Patrick McAvoy|
May 24, 2023; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; San Diego Padres hats in the dugout during the game against the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-Imagn Images
May 24, 2023; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; San Diego Padres hats in the dugout during the game against the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-Imagn Images | Brad Mills-Imagn Images

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St. Louis CardinalsSan Diego Padres

The St. Louis Cardinals have had plenty of success in the trade market over the years.

In recent memory, the two most successful trades the team have made are acquiring Nolan Arenado and Paul Goldschmidt. Both deals brought superstars in their prime to St. Louis. Goldschmidt was a Most Valuable Player and Arenado is one of the top third basemen in Major League Baseball history.

As good as these two guys have been, neither was called the Cardinals’ best trade in team history. FanSided’s Josh Jacobs made a list of the 15 best trades in team history and unsurprisingly, has shortstop Ozzie Smith in the No. 1 spot.

"No. 1 - Ozzie Smith (1982)," Jacobs said. "Cardinals acquire: SS Ozzie Smith, RHP Steve Mura, and LHP Al Olmsted. Padres acquire: SS Garry Templeton, OF Sixto Lezcano, and RHP Luis DeLeon. Total surplus fWAR: 42.6. Who else but The Wizard for the best trade in Cardinals history! Ozzie Smith is one of the most iconic players in Cardinals history. If you ask a baseball fan to name the best Cardinals ever, Smith's name will be one of the first names to come up, and for good reason.

"Accurately nicknamed "The Wizard" based on his incredible defense, Smith ranks first all-time among all players in FanGraphs' Defensive Rating. Among shortstops, Smith ranks fourth all-time in innings played, eighth in putouts, first in assists, and second in double plays. His 13 Gold Gloves are the most all-time at shortstop, and considering how difficult a position it is to play, the fact that he has nine more than the second-place Brandon Crawford should tell you just how good Smith was."

The Cardinals certainly won that one.

More MLB: Cardinals' Nolan Arenado Talks Injury, Joining Paul Goldschmidt

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Patrick McAvoy
PATRICK MCAVOY

Patrick McAvoy's experiences include local and national sports coverage at the New England Sports Network with a focus on baseball and basketball. Outside of journalism, Patrick also is pursuing an MBA at Brandeis University. After quickly rising as one of the most productive writers on the site, he expanded his reach to write for Baseball Essential, a national baseball site in Sports Illustrated Media Group. For all business/marketing inquiries regarding Inside The Cardinals, please reach out to Scott Neville: nevilles@merrimack.edu

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