Revisiting the Cardinals-Athletics Trade for Stephen Piscotty

Stephen Piscotty signed a six-year extension with the St. Louis Cardinals in 2017 and seemed to be someone who would be around for the long haul. But then he was traded to the Oakland Athletics following that campaign.

The trade itself would have been a bit of a surprise if not for the reasons behind it. In fact, the Cardinals actually showed a ton of goodwill by sending Piscotty to the Bay Area.

The outfielder wanted to be closer to his mother, who was in a battle with ALS. The Bay Area native got his wish and the Cardinals sent him to Oakland in exchange for prospects Yairo Munoz and Max Schrock.

But the return for St. Louis wasn't the key story for the team -- it was the fact a professional sports team showed selfless intent in a trade and helped out a player who had been in their system his entire professional career.

What's even more selfless about this? The Cardinals reportedly turned down other offers so Piscotty could return home.

Piscotty was a 2012 first-round pick and the extension he signed showed he was committed to remaining with the team. However, his family rightfully took precedent. Sadly, his mother passed away in May of 2018, though he responded with admirable strength, logging a career year with the A's that year.