NL Central rival's blunder should have Reds fans doing cartwheels

The St. Louis Cardinals are well-regarded as one of the best run franchises in all of Major League Baseball. It seems like the Cards always find a way to capture lightning in a bottle, swindle a talented minor leaguer away from an unknowing GM, or turn a castoff into a superstar.

But recently, St. Louis' front office has made some uncharacteristic mistakes. The first was trading away Randy Arozarena in 2020. The Tampa Bay Rays outfielder has since been named ALCS MVP (2020), snagged Rookie of the Year honors (2021), and earned a trip to the All-Star Game (2023).

However, this blunder may be even larger, and Cincinnati Reds fans should be doing cartwheels knowing that Adolis Garcia is not in a St. Louis Cardinals uniform.

NL Central rival's blunder should have Reds fans doing cartwheels

Could you imagine an outfield of Lars Nootbar, Adolis Garcia, and Randy Arozarena? At one point, all three players were in the St. Louis Cardinals organization. Thank goodness for John Mozeliak, right?

A year before Arozarena was traded to Tampa Bay, the Cardinals bid farewell to Garcia. The outfielder was designated for assignment in December of 2019 and eventually traded to the Texas Rangers for cash considerations.

Garcia was then DFA'd again in February of 2021 in order to make room for Mike Foltynewicz. However, Garcia was outrighted and invited back to spring training. His contract was selected a couple weeks after the 2021 season began.

Since that time, Garcia has been one of the top performers in the American League and is a big reason why the Texas Rangers are representing the AL in the World Series this year. Garcia has been to two All-Star Games and is hitting .327/.352/.750 with seven home runs this postseason.

Cincinnati Reds fans averted disaster thanks to a couple of blunders on the part of the St. Louis Cardinals' front office. Reds Country would've been in complete disarray had St. Louis hung on to Adolis Garcia and Randy Arozarena.