The St. Louis Cardinals aren’t used to sitting out October. You have to go back almost 20 years (1997-1999) to find the last time they missed the playoffs three years in a row. Back then, they responded by trading for Jim Edmonds and Mike Matheny and got a breakout performance by (then-pitching) rookie Rick Ankiel.
After missing the postseason for a second consecutive season last year, the team didn’t wait around for a third straight disappointment. The 2017 Cardinals lacked an impact bat in the middle of the order, so they went out and got one -- much like when they traded for Edmonds 18 years ago.