STLtoday.com

woofy25 wrote: ↑02 Feb 2026 19:11 pm

Melville wrote: ↑02 Feb 2026 19:03 pm

82birds wrote: ↑02 Feb 2026 18:20 pm

Melville wrote: ↑02 Feb 2026 18:17 pm Initial analysis:
1. It is going to take at least 3 years to fairly evaluate this move.
2. That said, I like the N/A, Gray, and even the Contreras trades much better
3. Bloom traded what he viewed as the team's most valuable trade piece - and received in return players at positions where the organization already had multiple similar assets - and did not address a single area of far more pressing need, which is very,very strange decision making.
4. He made the MLB roster worse and does not appear to have made the organization appreciably better or deeper.
5. Playing nothing but a numbers game is not exactly a transformative strategy - it smacks of merely hoping to get lucky.
6. Bottom line: CORRECT BASEBALL DECISION would have been to keep Donovan at present time.

your point #3...very true.
where's the RH bat that is so needed?

Exactly.
A 20 year old LH hitting outfielder who's only calling card is the far-off potential of MLB power with major questions about all other parts of his game.
A 24 year old LH hitting outfielder who is competent in several facets of the game and projects to be a 4th outfielder at best.
An undersized hard throwing RH pitcher who is not likely to be able to shoulder a starting pitcher role in MLB (note: I alone warned the Cardinals of this very risk factor with Martinez and Hence and have been proven brilliantly correct both times).
And a round B balance pick - which has a 3 or 4% chance of producing a starting caliber MLB player.
Again, STL has multiple versions of all 4 of these types of assets already.
Not sure how Bloom moved the needle - ANY needle - with this at all.
Hoping to get lucky is not exactly the course of action this organization needs to take.
Super Slo Mo had a bad happy of falling in love.
Bloom is hoping to get lucky with one of these guys.
Neither approach seems wise.

How good do you think Brendan Donovan is? Complementary player, not a cornerstone guy. He just isn’t. Everybody is jaded by the overall lack of talent on the mlb roster. He’s a fine player, a valuable player, but he’s not a star.

You misunderstand.
This has nothing to do with Donovan being a complementary player not about his trade value.
I can assure you that my assessment of his value is the most bias free, agenda free you will ever encounter.
My perfect analysis of this move is focused squarely on Bloom's strategy - or lack of it.
He made his MLB roster worse offensively and defensively - while making it thinner at 4 positions.
And in exchange he acquired assets that largely mirror what the team already possessed in multiples.
Does not really appear to accomplish anything - unless he gets very, very lucky.
If he was determined to trade Donovan, he should have addressed areas of need at a minimum.
Very, very odd decision on his part.
And remember, I approved of the Gray trade, approved of the N/A trade, and at least understood and appreciated his reasoning of the Contreras trade even though I would not have made the deal.
So you are not engaging with a Bloom critic.
I am completley impartial at all times.
This move makes little sense other than amassing bodies and hoping for the best.
His other moves were much smarter and strategic.

82birds wrote: ↑02 Feb 2026 19:08 pm

craviduce wrote: ↑02 Feb 2026 18:58 pm

82birds wrote: ↑02 Feb 2026 18:55 pm

Ronnie Dobbs wrote: ↑02 Feb 2026 18:49 pm

craviduce wrote: ↑02 Feb 2026 18:29 pmwait...we're getting Seattle's #70 and Tampa's #72?

WOW....are sure on that?

That's insanely crazy....that makes that a sure fire winner for the Cards...of course, time really tells on trades...much time. But 2 picks, darn....that would be awesome, BB

Yea, I just read the same thing!! That is indeed a wow!! 6 picks in the top 86 is real nice!!

I'm will also be revising my very technical trade rating from a B to an A. That is nice work, Chaim!!

funny
hey, RD, don't miss Wednesday with Walton and Reis (this Wednesday of all Wednesdays)

I'll tip my cap to Reis on this one....it turned into "exciting" indeed, Ronnie and 82birds . Well done, Reis. And very ethical of him to let others who broke it report it. Very classy.

hmmmm
I just read Derrick Goold's article on the trade and he didn't mention #68

(half hour or so later)
Goold updated his article, citing/verifyng two draft picks acquired in the trade.

Goldfan wrote: ↑02 Feb 2026 19:03 pm

Cusecards wrote: ↑02 Feb 2026 18:33 pm

Ozziesfan41 wrote: ↑02 Feb 2026 18:11 pm

Goldfan wrote: ↑02 Feb 2026 18:02 pm

imyourhuckleberry wrote: ↑02 Feb 2026 17:57 pm

alw80 wrote: ↑02 Feb 2026 17:51 pm

Goldfan wrote: ↑02 Feb 2026 17:48 pm

Absolut wrote: ↑02 Feb 2026 17:45 pm

Goldfan wrote: ↑02 Feb 2026 17:43 pm

alw80 wrote: ↑02 Feb 2026 17:40 pm

82birds wrote: ↑02 Feb 2026 17:39 pm

icon wrote: ↑02 Feb 2026 17:37 pm There may be a carnival barker outside Busch yelling: "Come and see it -- the man who pitches with both arms!"

Knowing the Cardinals and the marketing aspect, they will forbid him from giving up pitching with both arms. Remember the Navy guy who was here just because he was a Navy guy? And Nootbaar, the guy with the cute name in they hang on to forever and a day.

Meet the new boss, same as the old boss.

I disagree strongly with your last sentence.

Yep, Bloom has done more positive for the franchise in a few months than Mo had done in the last 10 years.

What great positive has he done other than clearing BDW payroll obligations for question marks.
What player out of this offseason trade return is anyone confident being a solid MLB starter?

Prefer adding an Erik Fedde and calling it a winter?

I prefer getting some stud players…….is this asking too much…..middling rehab projects fits in well to this organizations overall losing mentality

What studs were available for BD?

GF was asked the same question when he was whining about the return in the Gray trade, whining about the return in the Contrerras trade and whining about the return in the Arenado trade. He had no answers then, he'll have no answers now.

He just wants to whine.

Then what is the POINT of all this other than dumping vet contracts???
With those you mention…..they were old with large contracts is the excuse why Bloom couldn’t get a great return
Now with Donny…..he was one of the top trade targets all offseason and he’s young and CHEAP…..and still not a great return
What quality of player needs to be traded to get an almost MLB ready close to sure thing?

The problem is you are confused and think because a team is interested in a player they will pay anything to get them you’re wrong you were always wrong about that. The cardinals valued him for his intangibles other teams trading for him are looking far more at actual production and Donovan was a 10 hr 50 rbi guy. He doesn’t have much power and doesn’t have much power. I mean would you trade a guy like Doyle or JJ for Donavan? No because he’s a complimentary player

Oh he’s not “confused”.
He just has zero intestinal fortitude and a total lack of intelligence.

Or just keep the young cheap player if you can’t get an acceptable return…..both of you said this was acceptable just a couple days ago. Do you think this is an acceptable return for Donny’s skill set??

Actually.....UNLIKE YOU...I’m going to take the time to analyze the trade.....AND...this is the KEY PART....listen to comments from people who ACTUALLY KNOW the players
involved!!!!!!!
Congrats....whining/crying/complaining is not your worst quality.
Talking out of your (bleep) is!!!!
You might get a better VIEW of life in general if you get your head out of your rear end??????

I'm on board now that we know the 2 draft picks were acquired. Looks like a fair deal.

Cujo's Mask wrote: ↑02 Feb 2026 19:22 pm

Melville wrote: ↑02 Feb 2026 19:03 pm

82birds wrote: ↑02 Feb 2026 18:20 pm

Melville wrote: ↑02 Feb 2026 18:17 pm Initial analysis:
1. It is going to take at least 3 years to fairly evaluate this move.
2. That said, I like the N/A, Gray, and even the Contreras trades much better
3. Bloom traded what he viewed as the team's most valuable trade piece - and received in return players at positions where the organization already had multiple similar assets - and did not address a single area of far more pressing need, which is very,very strange decision making.
4. He made the MLB roster worse and does not appear to have made the organization appreciably better or deeper.
5. Playing nothing but a numbers game is not exactly a transformative strategy - it smacks of merely hoping to get lucky.
6. Bottom line: CORRECT BASEBALL DECISION would have been to keep Donovan at present time.

your point #3...very true.
where's the RH bat that is so needed?

Exactly.
A 20 year old LH hitting outfielder who's only calling card is the far-off potential of MLB power with major questions about all other parts of his game.
A 24 year old LH hitting outfielder who is competent in several facets of the game and projects to be a 4th outfielder at best.
An undersized hard throwing RH pitcher who is not likely to be able to shoulder a starting pitcher role in MLB (note: I alone warned the Cardinals of this very risk factor with Martinez and Hence and have been proven brilliantly correct both times).
And a round B balance pick - which has a 3 or 4% chance of producing a starting caliber MLB player.
Again, STL has multiple versions of all 4 of these types of assets already.
Not sure how Bloom moved the needle - ANY needle - with this at all.
Hoping to get lucky is not exactly the course of action this organization needs to take.
Super Slo Mo had a bad happy of falling in love.
Bloom is hoping to get lucky with one of these guys.
Neither approach seems wise.

I am going to disagree on the point about just adding similar assets here. OF is a need in the organization, so even though they both hit lefty, having more depth there is helpful. If they both pan out, you likely have one power-over-hit starter and then a good 4th OF or platoon guy. Both Cijntje and Peete are high-risk, high-reward types. So many of the Cards prospects now are high(ish) floor-low ceiling types, so adding some upside (even with the risk) feels like a valuable add to the system. And the comp B picks not only net us two additional players, but added bonus pool. It feels like Bloom is setting himself up to make a value play with a hard-to-sign type with these picks. Just my two cents.

Respectfully, what you typed could have been said word-for-word concerning the organization 12 hours ago.
And comes very close to restating the very point I was making.

Melville wrote: ↑02 Feb 2026 19:24 pm

woofy25 wrote: ↑02 Feb 2026 19:11 pm

Melville wrote: ↑02 Feb 2026 19:03 pm

82birds wrote: ↑02 Feb 2026 18:20 pm

Melville wrote: ↑02 Feb 2026 18:17 pm Initial analysis:
1. It is going to take at least 3 years to fairly evaluate this move.
2. That said, I like the N/A, Gray, and even the Contreras trades much better
3. Bloom traded what he viewed as the team's most valuable trade piece - and received in return players at positions where the organization already had multiple similar assets - and did not address a single area of far more pressing need, which is very,very strange decision making.
4. He made the MLB roster worse and does not appear to have made the organization appreciably better or deeper.
5. Playing nothing but a numbers game is not exactly a transformative strategy - it smacks of merely hoping to get lucky.
6. Bottom line: CORRECT BASEBALL DECISION would have been to keep Donovan at present time.

your point #3...very true.
where's the RH bat that is so needed?

Exactly.
A 20 year old LH hitting outfielder who's only calling card is the far-off potential of MLB power with major questions about all other parts of his game.
A 24 year old LH hitting outfielder who is competent in several facets of the game and projects to be a 4th outfielder at best.
An undersized hard throwing RH pitcher who is not likely to be able to shoulder a starting pitcher role in MLB (note: I alone warned the Cardinals of this very risk factor with Martinez and Hence and have been proven brilliantly correct both times).
And a round B balance pick - which has a 3 or 4% chance of producing a starting caliber MLB player.
Again, STL has multiple versions of all 4 of these types of assets already.
Not sure how Bloom moved the needle - ANY needle - with this at all.
Hoping to get lucky is not exactly the course of action this organization needs to take.
Super Slo Mo had a bad happy of falling in love.
Bloom is hoping to get lucky with one of these guys.
Neither approach seems wise.

How good do you think Brendan Donovan is? Complementary player, not a cornerstone guy. He just isn’t. Everybody is jaded by the overall lack of talent on the mlb roster. He’s a fine player, a valuable player, but he’s not a star.

You misunderstand.
This has nothing to do with Donovan being a complementary player not about his trade value.
I can assure you that my assessment of his value is the most bias free, agenda free you will ever encounter.
My perfect analysis of this move is focused squarely on Bloom's strategy - or lack of it.
He made his MLB roster worse offensively and defensively - while making it thinner at 4 positions.
And in exchange he acquired assets that largely mirror what the team already possessed in multiples.
Does not really appear to accomplish anything - unless he gets very, very lucky.
If he was determined to trade Donovan, he should have addressed areas of need at a minimum.
Very, very odd decision on his part.
And remember, I approved of the Gray trade, approved of the N/A trade, and at least understood and appreciated his reasoning of the Contreras trade even though I would not have made the deal.
So you are not engaging with a Bloom critic.
I am completley impartial at all times.
This move makes little sense other than amassing bodies and hoping for the best.
His other moves were much smarter and strategic.

You don’t trade for need when you’re dealing with a 20yr old prospect. Who cares which side of the plate he hits from. The Cardinals needs today may not be their needs 3 years from now when they’re ready.
If bloom took a right handed bat he was less interested bc the other guy hits left handed would be the dumb move.

And if we’re all being honest with each other, the cardinals have needs at about 22 positions, so take the best SOBs available.

If bloom want going to extend him, then trading him is the right move. I doubt teams were banging down the door with offers, but letting him walk or trading him at the deadline with 60 guaranteed games left with him would not have increased his value

woofy25 wrote: ↑02 Feb 2026 19:50 pm

Melville wrote: ↑02 Feb 2026 19:24 pm

woofy25 wrote: ↑02 Feb 2026 19:11 pm

Melville wrote: ↑02 Feb 2026 19:03 pm

82birds wrote: ↑02 Feb 2026 18:20 pm

Melville wrote: ↑02 Feb 2026 18:17 pm Initial analysis:
1. It is going to take at least 3 years to fairly evaluate this move.
2. That said, I like the N/A, Gray, and even the Contreras trades much better
3. Bloom traded what he viewed as the team's most valuable trade piece - and received in return players at positions where the organization already had multiple similar assets - and did not address a single area of far more pressing need, which is very,very strange decision making.
4. He made the MLB roster worse and does not appear to have made the organization appreciably better or deeper.
5. Playing nothing but a numbers game is not exactly a transformative strategy - it smacks of merely hoping to get lucky.
6. Bottom line: CORRECT BASEBALL DECISION would have been to keep Donovan at present time.

your point #3...very true.
where's the RH bat that is so needed?

Exactly.
A 20 year old LH hitting outfielder who's only calling card is the far-off potential of MLB power with major questions about all other parts of his game.
A 24 year old LH hitting outfielder who is competent in several facets of the game and projects to be a 4th outfielder at best.
An undersized hard throwing RH pitcher who is not likely to be able to shoulder a starting pitcher role in MLB (note: I alone warned the Cardinals of this very risk factor with Martinez and Hence and have been proven brilliantly correct both times).
And a round B balance pick - which has a 3 or 4% chance of producing a starting caliber MLB player.
Again, STL has multiple versions of all 4 of these types of assets already.
Not sure how Bloom moved the needle - ANY needle - with this at all.
Hoping to get lucky is not exactly the course of action this organization needs to take.
Super Slo Mo had a bad happy of falling in love.
Bloom is hoping to get lucky with one of these guys.
Neither approach seems wise.

How good do you think Brendan Donovan is? Complementary player, not a cornerstone guy. He just isn’t. Everybody is jaded by the overall lack of talent on the mlb roster. He’s a fine player, a valuable player, but he’s not a star.

You misunderstand.
This has nothing to do with Donovan being a complementary player not about his trade value.
I can assure you that my assessment of his value is the most bias free, agenda free you will ever encounter.
My perfect analysis of this move is focused squarely on Bloom's strategy - or lack of it.
He made his MLB roster worse offensively and defensively - while making it thinner at 4 positions.
And in exchange he acquired assets that largely mirror what the team already possessed in multiples.
Does not really appear to accomplish anything - unless he gets very, very lucky.
If he was determined to trade Donovan, he should have addressed areas of need at a minimum.
Very, very odd decision on his part.
And remember, I approved of the Gray trade, approved of the N/A trade, and at least understood and appreciated his reasoning of the Contreras trade even though I would not have made the deal.
So you are not engaging with a Bloom critic.
I am completley impartial at all times.
This move makes little sense other than amassing bodies and hoping for the best.
His other moves were much smarter and strategic.

You don’t trade for need when you’re dealing with a 20yr old prospect. Who cares which side of the plate he hits from. The Cardinals needs today may not be their needs 3 years from now when they’re ready.
If bloom took a right handed bat he was less interested bc the other guy hits left handed would be the dumb move.

And if we’re all being honest with each other, the cardinals have needs at about 22 positions, so take the best SOBs available.

If bloom want going to extend him, then trading him is the right move. I doubt teams were banging down the door with offers, but letting him walk or trading him at the deadline with 60 guaranteed games left with him would not have increased his value

High risk assets who are clones of the high risk assets already on hand does not increase odds of success 3 years down the road.
It smacks of throwing darts and hoping for luck.
Bloom would have been far smarter to take the approach he did with the Gary and Contreras moves - acquire talent closer to MLB, with a known track record, with high probability of contributing, and who come with multiple years of MLB control.
Makes far more sense than acquiring a stable of high risk players who may never see MLB.
Again, I am not diminishing the return - simply correctly analyzing the extreme weakness of Bloom's strategy with this specific deal.
Rolling dice is what makes the casinos richer and gamblers poorer.

Melville wrote: ↑02 Feb 2026 19:58 pm

woofy25 wrote: ↑02 Feb 2026 19:50 pm

Melville wrote: ↑02 Feb 2026 19:24 pm

woofy25 wrote: ↑02 Feb 2026 19:11 pm

Melville wrote: ↑02 Feb 2026 19:03 pm

82birds wrote: ↑02 Feb 2026 18:20 pm

Melville wrote: ↑02 Feb 2026 18:17 pm Initial analysis:
1. It is going to take at least 3 years to fairly evaluate this move.
2. That said, I like the N/A, Gray, and even the Contreras trades much better
3. Bloom traded what he viewed as the team's most valuable trade piece - and received in return players at positions where the organization already had multiple similar assets - and did not address a single area of far more pressing need, which is very,very strange decision making.
4. He made the MLB roster worse and does not appear to have made the organization appreciably better or deeper.
5. Playing nothing but a numbers game is not exactly a transformative strategy - it smacks of merely hoping to get lucky.
6. Bottom line: CORRECT BASEBALL DECISION would have been to keep Donovan at present time.

your point #3...very true.
where's the RH bat that is so needed?

Exactly.
A 20 year old LH hitting outfielder who's only calling card is the far-off potential of MLB power with major questions about all other parts of his game.
A 24 year old LH hitting outfielder who is competent in several facets of the game and projects to be a 4th outfielder at best.
An undersized hard throwing RH pitcher who is not likely to be able to shoulder a starting pitcher role in MLB (note: I alone warned the Cardinals of this very risk factor with Martinez and Hence and have been proven brilliantly correct both times).
And a round B balance pick - which has a 3 or 4% chance of producing a starting caliber MLB player.
Again, STL has multiple versions of all 4 of these types of assets already.
Not sure how Bloom moved the needle - ANY needle - with this at all.
Hoping to get lucky is not exactly the course of action this organization needs to take.
Super Slo Mo had a bad happy of falling in love.
Bloom is hoping to get lucky with one of these guys.
Neither approach seems wise.

How good do you think Brendan Donovan is? Complementary player, not a cornerstone guy. He just isn’t. Everybody is jaded by the overall lack of talent on the mlb roster. He’s a fine player, a valuable player, but he’s not a star.

You misunderstand.
This has nothing to do with Donovan being a complementary player not about his trade value.
I can assure you that my assessment of his value is the most bias free, agenda free you will ever encounter.
My perfect analysis of this move is focused squarely on Bloom's strategy - or lack of it.
He made his MLB roster worse offensively and defensively - while making it thinner at 4 positions.
And in exchange he acquired assets that largely mirror what the team already possessed in multiples.
Does not really appear to accomplish anything - unless he gets very, very lucky.
If he was determined to trade Donovan, he should have addressed areas of need at a minimum.
Very, very odd decision on his part.
And remember, I approved of the Gray trade, approved of the N/A trade, and at least understood and appreciated his reasoning of the Contreras trade even though I would not have made the deal.
So you are not engaging with a Bloom critic.
I am completley impartial at all times.
This move makes little sense other than amassing bodies and hoping for the best.
His other moves were much smarter and strategic.

You don’t trade for need when you’re dealing with a 20yr old prospect. Who cares which side of the plate he hits from. The Cardinals needs today may not be their needs 3 years from now when they’re ready.
If bloom took a right handed bat he was less interested bc the other guy hits left handed would be the dumb move.

And if we’re all being honest with each other, the cardinals have needs at about 22 positions, so take the best SOBs available.

If bloom want going to extend him, then trading him is the right move. I doubt teams were banging down the door with offers, but letting him walk or trading him at the deadline with 60 guaranteed games left with him would not have increased his value

High risk assets who are clones of the high risk assets already on hand does not increase odds of success 3 years down the road.
It smacks of throwing darts and hoping for luck.
Bloom would have been far smarter to take the approach he did with the Gary and Contreras moves - acquire talent closer to MLB, with a known track record, with high probability of contributing, and who come with multiple years of MLB control.
Makes far more sense than acquiring a stable of high risk players who may never see MLB.
Again, I am not diminishing the return - simply correctly analyzing the extreme weakness of Bloom's strategy with this specific deal.
Rolling dice is what makes the casinos richer and gamblers poorer.

It’s definitely going to be a test of blooms talent analysis. Mo was poor at it we will see if bloom is actually good at it and he sees something in them that they can tap into

At least they got Donovan's salary off the books. I checked the stats and I must say, a bunch of no names that haven't even performed well in the minor leagues. They did get two draft picks but they're not especially decent draft picks. Trade away an all-star 2nd baseman with I think 2 years of control and not real expensive for a bunch of riff raff and a couple of remote possibility lotto tickets. That Bloom is a magician I tell you.

CCard wrote: ↑02 Feb 2026 20:12 pm At least they got Donovan's salary off the books. I checked the stats and I must say, a bunch of no names that haven't even performed well in the minor leagues. They did get two draft picks but they're not especially decent draft picks. Trade away an all-star 2nd baseman with I think 2 years of control and not real expensive for a bunch of riff raff and a couple of remote possibility lotto tickets. That Bloom is a magician I tell you.

Yea and the mariners will get the great Donovan who spend time on the IL and mash 10 home runs and drive in 50 maybe

Melville wrote: ↑02 Feb 2026 19:58 pm

woofy25 wrote: ↑02 Feb 2026 19:50 pm

Melville wrote: ↑02 Feb 2026 19:24 pm

woofy25 wrote: ↑02 Feb 2026 19:11 pm

Melville wrote: ↑02 Feb 2026 19:03 pm

82birds wrote: ↑02 Feb 2026 18:20 pm

Melville wrote: ↑02 Feb 2026 18:17 pm Initial analysis:
1. It is going to take at least 3 years to fairly evaluate this move.
2. That said, I like the N/A, Gray, and even the Contreras trades much better
3. Bloom traded what he viewed as the team's most valuable trade piece - and received in return players at positions where the organization already had multiple similar assets - and did not address a single area of far more pressing need, which is very,very strange decision making.
4. He made the MLB roster worse and does not appear to have made the organization appreciably better or deeper.
5. Playing nothing but a numbers game is not exactly a transformative strategy - it smacks of merely hoping to get lucky.
6. Bottom line: CORRECT BASEBALL DECISION would have been to keep Donovan at present time.

your point #3...very true.
where's the RH bat that is so needed?

Exactly.
A 20 year old LH hitting outfielder who's only calling card is the far-off potential of MLB power with major questions about all other parts of his game.
A 24 year old LH hitting outfielder who is competent in several facets of the game and projects to be a 4th outfielder at best.
An undersized hard throwing RH pitcher who is not likely to be able to shoulder a starting pitcher role in MLB (note: I alone warned the Cardinals of this very risk factor with Martinez and Hence and have been proven brilliantly correct both times).
And a round B balance pick - which has a 3 or 4% chance of producing a starting caliber MLB player.
Again, STL has multiple versions of all 4 of these types of assets already.
Not sure how Bloom moved the needle - ANY needle - with this at all.
Hoping to get lucky is not exactly the course of action this organization needs to take.
Super Slo Mo had a bad happy of falling in love.
Bloom is hoping to get lucky with one of these guys.
Neither approach seems wise.

How good do you think Brendan Donovan is? Complementary player, not a cornerstone guy. He just isn’t. Everybody is jaded by the overall lack of talent on the mlb roster. He’s a fine player, a valuable player, but he’s not a star.

You misunderstand.
This has nothing to do with Donovan being a complementary player not about his trade value.
I can assure you that my assessment of his value is the most bias free, agenda free you will ever encounter.
My perfect analysis of this move is focused squarely on Bloom's strategy - or lack of it.
He made his MLB roster worse offensively and defensively - while making it thinner at 4 positions.
And in exchange he acquired assets that largely mirror what the team already possessed in multiples.
Does not really appear to accomplish anything - unless he gets very, very lucky.
If he was determined to trade Donovan, he should have addressed areas of need at a minimum.
Very, very odd decision on his part.
And remember, I approved of the Gray trade, approved of the N/A trade, and at least understood and appreciated his reasoning of the Contreras trade even though I would not have made the deal.
So you are not engaging with a Bloom critic.
I am completley impartial at all times.
This move makes little sense other than amassing bodies and hoping for the best.
His other moves were much smarter and strategic.

You don’t trade for need when you’re dealing with a 20yr old prospect. Who cares which side of the plate he hits from. The Cardinals needs today may not be their needs 3 years from now when they’re ready.
If bloom took a right handed bat he was less interested bc the other guy hits left handed would be the dumb move.

And if we’re all being honest with each other, the cardinals have needs at about 22 positions, so take the best SOBs available.

If bloom want going to extend him, then trading him is the right move. I doubt teams were banging down the door with offers, but letting him walk or trading him at the deadline with 60 guaranteed games left with him would not have increased his value

High risk assets who are clones of the high risk assets already on hand does not increase odds of success 3 years down the road.
It smacks of throwing darts and hoping for luck.
Bloom would have been far smarter to take the approach he did with the Gary and Contreras moves - acquire talent closer to MLB, with a known track record, with high probability of contributing, and who come with multiple years of MLB control.
Makes far more sense than acquiring a stable of high risk players who may never see MLB.
Again, I am not diminishing the return - simply correctly analyzing the extreme weakness of Bloom's strategy with this specific deal.
Rolling dice is what makes the casinos richer and gamblers poorer.

I’m sure those offers were coming fast and furious.

icon wrote: ↑02 Feb 2026 19:35 pm I'm on board now that we know the 2 draft picks were acquired. Looks like a fair deal.

That's what I am most excited about it.

Melville wrote: ↑02 Feb 2026 19:58 pm

woofy25 wrote: ↑02 Feb 2026 19:50 pm

Melville wrote: ↑02 Feb 2026 19:24 pm

woofy25 wrote: ↑02 Feb 2026 19:11 pm

Melville wrote: ↑02 Feb 2026 19:03 pm

82birds wrote: ↑02 Feb 2026 18:20 pm

Melville wrote: ↑02 Feb 2026 18:17 pm Initial analysis:
1. It is going to take at least 3 years to fairly evaluate this move.
2. That said, I like the N/A, Gray, and even the Contreras trades much better
3. Bloom traded what he viewed as the team's most valuable trade piece - and received in return players at positions where the organization already had multiple similar assets - and did not address a single area of far more pressing need, which is very,very strange decision making.
4. He made the MLB roster worse and does not appear to have made the organization appreciably better or deeper.
5. Playing nothing but a numbers game is not exactly a transformative strategy - it smacks of merely hoping to get lucky.
6. Bottom line: CORRECT BASEBALL DECISION would have been to keep Donovan at present time.

your point #3...very true.
where's the RH bat that is so needed?

Exactly.
A 20 year old LH hitting outfielder who's only calling card is the far-off potential of MLB power with major questions about all other parts of his game.
A 24 year old LH hitting outfielder who is competent in several facets of the game and projects to be a 4th outfielder at best.
An undersized hard throwing RH pitcher who is not likely to be able to shoulder a starting pitcher role in MLB (note: I alone warned the Cardinals of this very risk factor with Martinez and Hence and have been proven brilliantly correct both times).
And a round B balance pick - which has a 3 or 4% chance of producing a starting caliber MLB player.
Again, STL has multiple versions of all 4 of these types of assets already.
Not sure how Bloom moved the needle - ANY needle - with this at all.
Hoping to get lucky is not exactly the course of action this organization needs to take.
Super Slo Mo had a bad happy of falling in love.
Bloom is hoping to get lucky with one of these guys.
Neither approach seems wise.

How good do you think Brendan Donovan is? Complementary player, not a cornerstone guy. He just isn’t. Everybody is jaded by the overall lack of talent on the mlb roster. He’s a fine player, a valuable player, but he’s not a star.

You misunderstand.
This has nothing to do with Donovan being a complementary player not about his trade value.
I can assure you that my assessment of his value is the most bias free, agenda free you will ever encounter.
My perfect analysis of this move is focused squarely on Bloom's strategy - or lack of it.
He made his MLB roster worse offensively and defensively - while making it thinner at 4 positions.
And in exchange he acquired assets that largely mirror what the team already possessed in multiples.
Does not really appear to accomplish anything - unless he gets very, very lucky.
If he was determined to trade Donovan, he should have addressed areas of need at a minimum.
Very, very odd decision on his part.
And remember, I approved of the Gray trade, approved of the N/A trade, and at least understood and appreciated his reasoning of the Contreras trade even though I would not have made the deal.
So you are not engaging with a Bloom critic.
I am completley impartial at all times.
This move makes little sense other than amassing bodies and hoping for the best.
His other moves were much smarter and strategic.

You don’t trade for need when you’re dealing with a 20yr old prospect. Who cares which side of the plate he hits from. The Cardinals needs today may not be their needs 3 years from now when they’re ready.
If bloom took a right handed bat he was less interested bc the other guy hits left handed would be the dumb move.

And if we’re all being honest with each other, the cardinals have needs at about 22 positions, so take the best SOBs available.

If bloom want going to extend him, then trading him is the right move. I doubt teams were banging down the door with offers, but letting him walk or trading him at the deadline with 60 guaranteed games left with him would not have increased his value

High risk assets who are clones of the high risk assets already on hand does not increase odds of success 3 years down the road.
It smacks of throwing darts and hoping for luck.
Bloom would have been far smarter to take the approach he did with the Gary and Contreras moves - acquire talent closer to MLB, with a known track record, with high probability of contributing, and who come with multiple years of MLB control.
Makes far more sense than acquiring a stable of high risk players who may never see MLB.
Again, I am not diminishing the return - simply correctly analyzing the extreme weakness of Bloom's strategy with this specific deal.
Rolling dice is what makes the casinos richer and gamblers poorer.

If I was playing the lottery, I would prefer to have 6 tickets vs. 1 ticket. My chances are better having the several eggs in different baskets, vs. just a single expiring egg in one basket. That is how I see what Bloom is trying to accomplish by his moves today. The organization was grossly weak, in quality talent, across the entire system. It makes no difference to Bloom if the player hits right or left, or what hand he uses to pitch with. He is simply trying to accumulate as much talent as he can for the future. The trade today certainly doesn't help us this year, or next, or maybe never! As you pointed out in a previous post, their is certainly inherent risk with any prospect. What Bloom did today, was trade 1 expiring lottery ticket, for 6 lottery tickets that still have a chance of paying off. The Cardinals were not going to sign BD at 29 to a long-term extension. Whether that is right or wrong is clearly a hot topic here, but I certainly understand where Bloom is coming from and what he is trying to achieve with this move today. And if the talent becomes redundant in the future, we can simply trade the excess for what is needed at the time. JMO

Ozziesfan41 wrote: ↑02 Feb 2026 20:13 pm

CCard wrote: ↑02 Feb 2026 20:12 pm At least they got Donovan's salary off the books. I checked the stats and I must say, a bunch of no names that haven't even performed well in the minor leagues. They did get two draft picks but they're not especially decent draft picks. Trade away an all-star 2nd baseman with I think 2 years of control and not real expensive for a bunch of riff raff and a couple of remote possibility lotto tickets. That Bloom is a magician I tell you.

Yea and the mariners will get the great Donovan who spend time on the IL and mash 10 home runs and drive in 50 maybe

It's a wonder they even wanted a waste of space like Donovan. Versatile, Gold glove

WAR - 2.7
OBP - .353
OPS - 775
In a injury shortened season no less. Don't you ever get tired of being a fool?

I would have been happy with this trade with only a comp B pick and Cijntje. I think I would have been ok with only two comp B picks by themselves, lol. I'm pretty thrilled with this package, and I kinda like Peete as well. And even if Ledbetter is only a warm body, we actually need warm bodies for our OF, especially the upper minors. Bloom and crew are looking pretty darn good, so far. Just think how many starting pitchers and outfielders we can draft in the first three rounds this year. Only half joking!

Melville wrote: ↑02 Feb 2026 19:03 pm

82birds wrote: ↑02 Feb 2026 18:20 pm

Melville wrote: ↑02 Feb 2026 18:17 pm Initial analysis:
1. It is going to take at least 3 years to fairly evaluate this move.
2. That said, I like the N/A, Gray, and even the Contreras trades much better
3. Bloom traded what he viewed as the team's most valuable trade piece - and received in return players at positions where the organization already had multiple similar assets - and did not address a single area of far more pressing need, which is very,very strange decision making.
4. He made the MLB roster worse and does not appear to have made the organization appreciably better or deeper.
5. Playing nothing but a numbers game is not exactly a transformative strategy - it smacks of merely hoping to get lucky.
6. Bottom line: CORRECT BASEBALL DECISION would have been to keep Donovan at present time.

your point #3...very true.
where's the RH bat that is so needed?

Exactly.
A 20 year old LH hitting outfielder who's only calling card is the far-off potential of MLB power with major questions about all other parts of his game.
A 24 year old LH hitting outfielder who is competent in several facets of the game and projects to be a 4th outfielder at best.
An undersized hard throwing RH pitcher who is not likely to be able to shoulder a starting pitcher role in MLB (note: I alone warned the Cardinals of this very risk factor with Martinez and Hence and have been proven brilliantly correct both times).
And a round B balance pick - which has a 3 or 4% chance of producing a starting caliber MLB player.
Again, STL has multiple versions of all 4 of these types of assets already.
Not sure how Bloom moved the needle - ANY needle - with this at all.
Hoping to get lucky is not exactly the course of action this organization needs to take.
Super Slo Mo had a bad happy of falling in love.
Bloom is hoping to get lucky with one of these guys.
Neither approach seems wise.

I think that trades like this are like doing extra drafts with more information.
These guys don't see the MLB field in 2026, So why draft for need versus best player.
7 pitchers 4 SS happen.

As info of the trade trickled out I wonder why a 3 team. Seattle didn't want to meet
an ask but with Cijntje-expected, Peete - a total surprise, not a favorite. They had to be near
the end of the return. I actually thought the Cards would send a player to TB to get
the higher value, more now fill a need player. Didn't happen. I'm a bit underwhelmed but
definitely no expert and those picks help this trade tremendously.

This one will have to play out further. Being 7 deep at pitcher hurts nothing. There's
plenty of spots some will RP. They've essentially received 3 first rounder and a couple
of 2.5 rounders of their own choosing for Donovan. They got some athletes
long shot CFers which may well be a need.

Donovan is a player who has had some difficulty in staying healthy, waiting for a TD deal
imo with this player who has 1 complete season, usually misses a month, is very risky.