In the 2010s, “tanking” became something of a buzzword in baseball circles - and not in a flattering way. Teams would hit the reset button, trading away established stars for prospects and draft picks, all in the name of building for a brighter future.
It was a long game that sometimes worked (see: Cubs, Astros) and sometimes didn’t (see: Tigers, Marlins, Nationals). But the days of full-scale tear-downs seem to be fading.
The strategy hasn’t disappeared altogether, but it’s evolved - and the St. Louis Cardinals might be the latest team to put a modern spin on it.
Let’s start with the recent moves. The Cardinals traded away Sonny Gray - a proven, high-level starter - and then almost immediately signed free agent Dustin May.
On the surface, it’s a head-scratcher. Why deal one of your top arms only to bring in another starter right after?
But dig a little deeper, and there’s a method to the madness.
Under new leadership with Chaim Bloom steering the front office, the Cardinals appear to be pivoting toward a retooling strategy that’s more nuanced than a traditional tank. Trading Gray brought back two intriguing arms: Richard Fitts, who could step into the rotation as soon as 2026, and Brandon Clarke, a longer-term project with upside. These are the kinds of young pitchers the Cardinals have struggled to develop internally in recent years, and using Gray as a trade chip helped patch that hole.
Then there’s the signing of Dustin May - a move that might look more like a chess play than a win-now push. May, still just 28, is coming off injuries but has shown flashes of electric stuff when healthy. A one-year deal makes sense for both sides: the Cardinals get a potential mid-season trade asset, and May gets a chance to re-establish his value and hit the market again next winter with better leverage.
It’s a classic “prove-it” deal, and if May stays healthy and performs, the Cardinals could flip him at the deadline for another wave of prospects. That’s the playbook the Mets used in 2023 when they moved veterans like Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander - along with a chunk of salary - in exchange for top-tier prospects.
In essence, they were buying prospect capital with short-term contracts and cash. The Cardinals seem to be exploring a similar lane.
We saw a preview of this last season when St. Louis signed reliever Phil Maton on a bargain deal.
Maton pitched well in the first half, and the Cardinals flipped him to Texas for a pair of arms - Mason Molina and Skylar Hales - both of whom now add depth to the system. That’s the blueprint.
Sign undervalued veterans, let them perform, and then deal them to contenders hungry for pitching.
It’s not the most glamorous approach. Fans don’t get to form long-term connections with these players, and the roster can feel like a revolving door.
But in a market like St. Louis - where expectations are high and the farm system needs replenishing - this could be the quickest route back to relevance.
And it’s worth noting: this isn’t tanking in the traditional sense. The Cardinals aren’t bottoming out.
They’re not punting entire seasons or fielding rosters with no intention of competing. Instead, they’re trying to walk the tightrope - staying respectable on the field while stockpiling young talent behind the scenes.
Of course, this approach requires something Cardinals fans aren’t always used to giving: patience. These prospects won’t turn into stars overnight.
Some may never pan out. But if even a few of these moves hit, the Cardinals could find themselves back in the thick of the National League playoff hunt sooner than expected - with a younger, deeper, and more sustainable roster.
So while it may not be the kind of offseason that makes headlines, it’s the kind that could quietly reshape the future in St. Louis.