The World Series is set.
The Arizona Diamondbacks won Game 7 of the NLCS against the defending National League champion Philadelphia Phillies and will now clash with the Texas Rangers in the World Series.
Both the Diamondbacks and Rangers are Wild Card teams and have flown under the radar all postseason long, and now both underdog teams will square off in the World Series to determine which Cinderella story culminates in a World Series title.
But as the World Series gets underway, there is a certain fanbase that may feel a sense of discontent over the fact that several of their team's former players are playing on the biggest stage.
Fans of the St. Louis Cardinals will once again be reminded of all the players President of Baseball Operations John Mozeliak let slip from his grasp in favor of other players who simply have not lived up to their expectations.
3. Adolis Garcia
Adolis Garcia made his MLB debut with the Cardinals late in the 2018 season and was ultimately designated for assignment after the 2019 season when St. Louis signed left-hander Kwang-Hyun Kim.
Garcia was later traded to the Rangers for cash considerations. While Kim turned out to be a solid rotation piece for the Redbirds, however, Garcia blossomed into a star.
Recently he earned ALCS MVP honors after crushing five home runs and hitting for a .357 average while posting a 1.293 OPS and driving in 15 runs in the series victory over the vaunted Astros.
Garcia's postseason surge is a painful reminder of what could have been if the Cardinals had held onto him instead of prioritizing Tyler O'Neill and Dylan Carlson.
2. Zac Gallen
Zac Gallen serves as another painful reminder of what could have been. Back in 2017, St. Louis was in need of a power bat, and they acquired Marcell Ozuna from the Miami Marlins.
Gallen and Sandy Alcantara went back to Miami in that trade. Ozuna had a solid, albeit brief stint in St. Louis, and Gallen and Alcantara ultimately turned into Cy Young-caliber pitchers.
What ultimately failed the Cardinals in 2023 was their lack of pitching, which could have been avoided without this trade, especially if the Cardinals had chosen to sign a power bat in free agency.
Having both pitchers, especially Gallen would have likely had the Cardinals in contention for their 12th World Series title in 2023. The 28-year-old won 17 games this year and posted a 3.47 ERA in his 34 starts.
St. Louis finished in last place in the NL Central with a record of 71-91. Their 2023 rotation had several major problems, including the inconsistencies of Jack Flaherty and Miles Mikolas and the health struggles of Steven Matz and Adam Wainwright.
Gallen will likely draw the start in Game 1 at Globe Life Field in Arlington as the D-Backs play in their first World Series since 2001
1. Jordan Montgomery
Jordan Montgomery was the Cardinals' only consistent starter this season before he was ultimately traded to the Rangers. He was sent to Texas due to the fact that the Cardinals had fallen out of contention by the trade deadline and become sellers.
St. Louis picked up some solid pieces in return, such as reliever John King and prospects Tekoah Roby and Thomas Sagesse. Still, Montgomery posted a 3.20 ERA during the regular season and has now emerged as the Rangers ace this postseason.
The 30-year-old is also 3-0 in seven appearances this postseason with an ERA of 1.99 in 31.2 innings of work.
Needless to say, it has to hurt for Cardinals fans to see so many of their former players having success with other teams while the Cardinals themselves remain on the outside looking in.
With Montgomery set to become a free agent, there is a chance that he could be back in Cardinal red in 2024. But for now, Cardinals fans are left to watch him and other former Cardinal players compete in the World Series with different teams, with the memory of these painful trades still haunting the team.