DET/STL

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Tigers trade

Francisco Lindor 17/1.08 18/2.16 18/arb1
Alex Bregman 17/.51 18/1.02 19/2.04 20/arb1
Jose Berrios 17/.51 18/1.02 19/2.04 20/arb1
Bradley Zimmer 17/.51 18/1.02 19/arb1

Card trade

Mike Trout 17/19.25 18/33.25 19/33.25 20/33.25 21/UFA
Ketel Marte 1.04 minors
Renato Nuñez .2 minors
Dakota Chamlers .2 minors
Will Smith .2 minors

Tigers accept. I hate moving the guys I am, I'm very high on all of them. But it's Trout. I still have very good talent in my lineup, and more coming soon from my minors, and Trout gives me the centerpiece to build around. I get players very close to the majors at 3B and SS, both with good upside, to eventually replace Lindor and Bregman. I like Chalmers in the long run. And Smith was a 1st round pick last year, and plays a premium position, catcher, for a team that develops its minor leaguers as good as anyone in baseball, the Dodgers.

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Making the decision to part with Trout was hard, but given my glaring need at SS, this move made sense for me. I was able to get an elite SS who can help me now and be a long-term leader of the Cardinals, a 3B who have all-star pedigree but has been a bit up and down to start his career, a high-upside SP, and a highly-regarded OF who projects to be a very solid Major Leaguer if/when he shortens his swing and cuts down on strikeouts which have followed him in the minors.

If I was every going to trade Trout, I wanted to get pieces that would allow me to keep contended and strengthen my team in the coming years. I feel on paper this trade presented that opportunity and hope it plays out that way.