St. Louis Cardinals received cash in the 1968-09-03 exchange…
St. Louis Cardinals received cash in the 1968-09-03 exchange with Detroit Lions. St. Louis received cash, but the amount is not established in the researched record, limiting the ability to assign the Cardinals a meaningful advantage. Against Detroit Lions' return of Mike Campbell (a), that outcome supports a C- grade. The transaction is judged Even Trade, with the mark tied to the football value that actually followed from the deal.
Arizona Cardinals Received
- other cash
Detroit Lions Received
- player Mike Campbell (a)
Trade Analysis
The Exchange
St. Louis Cardinals and Detroit Lions completed this transaction on 1968-09-03. St. Louis Cardinals received cash, while Detroit Lions received Mike Campbell (a). The terms are evaluated from the value each club actually realized after the exchange, including documented playing time and any downstream use of an acquired draft choice. That keeps the comparison focused on the transaction itself rather than on hypothetical value.
St. Louis Cardinals Return
St. Louis received cash, but the amount is not established in the researched record, limiting the ability to assign the Cardinals a meaningful advantage. That result supports the C- grade assigned to St. Louis Cardinals. The mark gives credit for service or asset value traceable to this deal and does not inflate the return simply because a player or draft choice carried a recognizable name. The relevant question is what the club actually received from the asset after the exchange.
Detroit Lions Return
Campbell appeared in only three Detroit regular-season games, totaling 24 rushing yards and 15 receiving yards, so the Lions received minimal on-field value. That result supports the C- grade assigned to Detroit Lions. The same standard applies on this side: realized production, starts, roster utility, or a documented downstream transaction matters more than the nominal label attached to the asset. The grade therefore reflects practical football value rather than theoretical upside.
Value in Hindsight
Neither club created enough lasting separation to justify naming a winner. St. Louis Cardinals and Detroit Lions both received limited realized value, so the matching grades reflect how quickly the transaction washed out on both sides. The comparison also avoids crediting either club for value that belonged to a later, unrelated team or for a downstream outcome that the club never actually controlled. That produces a cleaner measure of what this specific exchange delivered.
Final Verdict
Even Trade. St. Louis Cardinals earns a C-, while Detroit Lions earns a C-. Neither side produced a strong enough return to move the result away from even. The conclusion follows the verified service and downstream value tied to each side of the transaction, with the grades scaled to the size and impact of the deal.