Oak-STL

[Oakland Athletics]

Oakland sends:
Will Smith 8.25/22 8.25/23 UFA/24

St. Louis sends:
Justin Bruihl 0.5/22 0.5/23 0.5/24 UFA/25
Mitch Moreland 0.55 (Minor league salary)
Jose Leclerc 1.75/22 1.75/23 1.75/24 1.75/25 (Minor league salary)
Khris Davis 1.75/22 2.625/23 (Minor league salary)
Tommy Kahnle 0.6/22 0.6/23 UFA/24
Rafael Montero 2/22 2/23 2/24 ufa/25 (Minor league salary)

Oakland accepts. I would like to have those guys that St. Louis already DFA'd go into my minors since I have some salary space there. Otherwise still shedding cap on my part.

[STL Cardinals]

Accept. Can’t really afford Smith yet, but getting rid of DFA’d veterans allows us to send down Buxton until the draft and play salary cap musical chairs until we come up with a better solution. I do think some of those veterans get back some value closer to Opening Day, but the birds on the bat couldn’t hold them with 23 draft picks coming up (and they are Rule 5 eligible as well).

Assuming we can afford him long-term, Cards would like to keep Smith as we seek to compete in the beginning of the 2022 season and he rounds out a very solid bullpen for us (Doval and Smith are locked in closers and Rainey and Williams could end up closers).

A mutual salary dump! The best of the trash trades! Thanks Oakland!!

[Milwaukee Brewers]

docced