Part of me thought it was extremely fitting that the deal for Sonny Gray was announced as soon as it was put out there forever by this knucklehead asking for more. It isn’t the first time Mo has got one over on me, as anyone in attendance for a certain Blogger Day can verify. Well, the days of missing Carlos Martinez in Springfield might be an afterthought, but the most recent signing will have a couple of very important impacts moving forward.
By this time tomorrow, the Cardinals will know exactly how high they are picking in the 2024 Draft with a potential monumental selection. St. Louis rarely if ever pays attention to the lottery for good reason. One, it is a new wrinkle to the proceedings but most importantly, it never would have been in the discussion most summers. This season was definitely one to forget but a potential top 5 pick if not higher would help make many of the bad memories disappear.
This pick was already going to be under the microscope anyway you break it down, but the signing of Gray only adds to the importance of hitting a home run. The preference will of course be to take an Ace but hitting one out of the park was too good to pass up so forgive me. The Cards are basically trading their second pick to acquire a new number one hurler, an even deal when factoring in everything that happened before the calendar hit December.
While the Winter Meetings are important for potential trades, the Tyler O’Neill sweepstakes don’t move the needle nearly enough. The chance to get a once-in-a-lifetime pick, now that’s priceless. The Draft used to be one of my favorites times of the calendar, so the excitement level for tomorrow can’t really be fully explained just yet. St. Louis can’t afford to miss on this one, however, so it will get plenty of attention from now until the All-Star break.
Just the possibility of snagging a game-changer gives the event an added boost, but the new rules don’t stop there. With as bad a record as the Cards had, this time around the chances of taking home the number one pick are squarely in play. The lottery has never been a part of my life, but this is certainly one jackpot I stand behind. And you never know, maybe Randy Flores brought along a good luck charm or three with him to Nashville.
The baseball gods can smile down one more time this year and give all of us the boost we need to make it to March. I’m not the superstitious type but if you are, feel free to double down in order to make an early Christmas present appear for all of Cardinal Nation!
