The Cardinals Just Traded for a 22-Year-Old Hitting .190 and Here's Why That Matters
The St. Louis Cardinals made a move on Tuesday that tells you everything about how teams value upside over proven production. They acquired minor league infielder/outfielder Brayden Smith from the Baltimore Orioles in exchange for left-hander Nick Raquet. Smith is young, a 13th-round draft pick out of Oklahoma State in 2025, and currently hitting .190 with one home run and nine RBIs across 17 games in the minors over the past two seasons. That's a lot of swing and miss right now, but the Cardinals clearly see something worth betting on.
Who Is Brayden Smith?
Smith is 22 years old and still raw in the minor league system. The Orioles drafted him last year out of Oklahoma State, but his bat hasn't been hot. A .190 average over two minor league seasons is rough, no matter how you look at it. But at his age, with time to develop, the Cardinals are gambling that he can hit his way into relevance. The infield/outfield versatility is a bonus too. He gives St. Louis flexibility on where to slot him as he develops.
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👉 Claim Your Free $10 at KalshiThe Other Side: Nick Raquet's Strange Path Back
The Cardinals designated Raquet for assignment on Sunday after just two relief appearances with the team in 2025. The 30-year-old has had one of the weirdest baseball journeys you'll see. Originally a third-round pick by the Washington Nationals back in 2017, Raquet took a three-year break from baseball from 2019 to 2021. He pitched for York, Pennsylvania in the independent Atlantic League in 2023 and threw some innings in the Dominican Republic before the Cardinals signed him in 2024. He made his major league debut last September and allowed no runs or hits in two innings of relief. No decisions, no splash. For the Orioles to take that shot on a 30-year-old journeyman reliever, they saw something worth exploring.
What's Next
Smith heads to Baltimore's minor league system now, still looking to prove that his tools translate at the plate. Raquet gets another chance to stick in a big league bullpen. Both guys are still very much works in progress, but for the Cardinals and Orioles, it's a bet on potential and change of scenery.
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