Diamondbacks Ace Still Feels Disrespected By Cardinals Trading Him In 2017

A legitimate ace reflects on how he was dealt away from the Cardinals

It is well-known around the league that the St. Louis Cardinals have a certain standard that has allowed them to be perennial postseason contenders this century. 

They don't mess around and will cold-heartedly trade players if they don't meet the standards of "The Cardinal Way".

The Red Birds drafted star right-handed pitcher Zac Gallen in 2016, however, he only lasted one season in St. Louis' farm system after skipping out on offseason camp sessions for minor leaguers in October and November of 2017.

Gallen was pressed to appear at these "voluntary" camps and would eventually attend in December. However, the Cardinals downplayed the importance of the event once he got there.

"I got to the exit meeting and they're like 'Yeah you didn't really have to be here, thanks for coming down though,'" Gallen said on Foul Territory. "So (the Cardinals) made this whole big stink about me coming down and on the way home they traded me. 

"I guess they weren't too happy about me not wanting to go to the winter workout camp."

When asked if he thought he was traded for his actions regarding the winter workout sessions, he appeared to have some animosity toward St. Louis.

"If you know the Cardinals, you know they have their certain ways about how they go about some things."

Gallen expressed that he felt as though he should have been able to work out on his own because players are not paid in the offseason and described the camp he reluctantly attended as a "weird vibe."

Gallen has proven that he would have been worth holding onto. He has a 28-23 record with a 3.01 ERA, 579-to-165 strikeout-to-walk ratio, .206 batting average against, and a 1.07 WHIP in 514 2/3 innings pitched since his call-up in 2019. 

This season, Gallen has a 6-1 record with a 2.35 ERA, 70-to-8 strikeout-to-walk ratio, .197 batting average against and 0.86 WHIP in 57 1/3 innings across nine starts for the Arizona Diamondbacks. 

This disastrous trade involved Gallen and reigning National League Cy Young Award winner Sandy Alcántara being sent to the Miami Marlins in exchange for outfielder Marcell Ozuna.

In a season where St. Louis' rotation is taking a beating, it's hard not to look back on this situation and think that the organization made an egotistical mistake in trading Gallen over skipping winter camp sessions -- if that is in fact the case. Adding Alcántara to the deal makes matters even more painful.

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