Cardinals Trade Nick Raquet to Orioles For Brayden Smith
CARDINALS ACQUIRE INF/OF BRAYDEN SMITH FROM ORIOLES
LHP NICK RAQUET TRADED TO BALTIMORE
ST. LOUIS, MO., April 7, 2026 – The St. Louis Cardinals today acquired minor league infielder/outfielder Brayden Smith in a trade with the Baltimore Orioles in exchange for left-handed pitcher Nick Raquet (ruh-KAY), who was designated for assignment.
Smith, 22, was originally selected by the Baltimore Orioles in the 13th round of the 2025 MLB Draft out of Oklahoma State University. In his two-year professional career in the Orioles organization, the 6-foot-0, 190 lb. Smith has appeared in eight games at second base, six games in left field, and two in right field between Delmarva (A) and Frederick (A+).
After 111 games over two seasons at Iowa Western Community College, the left-handed-hitting Smith transferred to Oklahoma State his junior season in 2025 and slashed .304/.388/.548 (66-217) with 11 home runs, 40 RBI and a .936 OPS in 54 games.
— STL —
Raquet probably shouldn’t have been the guy removed from the 40-man; it should have been Chris Roycroft, who’s been hit around for 2 seasons now.
In Smith, the team is receiving a depth piece prospect.
He’s got a decent bat; it currently has a 45 hit tool and 40 power, while projected to be closer to 50/45 at his best. He’s a patient line-driver hitter with gap power, topping out around 10-12 homers. He’s struggled in a small sample size as a pro (16 games), but the Cardinals see this as an adjustment to pro ball rather than a red flag.
His speed is a 50; he can swipe a few bags, but he’s not a Victor Scott II type. The speed is good enough to handle most positions effectively.
Defensively, he’s projected to be a 50 fielder and 50 arm; he’s got the hands, range and footwork to stick at second, but can handle all 3 outfield positions. The arm is good enough to handle most position. Long term, he looks like a 2B/corner OFer. I could see him being a potential Jose Fermin type if he gets some reps on the left side of the infield.
He’d probably pencil in at the back half of my top 50 prospects.
It’s a low risk, high reward deal. They clear a spot for Jared Shuster, who can be no worse than Roycroft; they add a 22-year-old infielder in exchange for a 30-year-old reliever they picked up off the scrap heap that never really established himself at the highest level.
