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 13^th 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.