The St. Louis Cardinals have had quite a bit of turnover the last few years, and some of the players they’ve parted ways with are off to greener pastures. Between selling at the 2023 trade deadline and retooling a roster upper management thought they would compete with, the Cardinals have said farewell to a lot of former keystone pieces. The Cardinals have struggled early this year while some former players are helping contend for the postseason in their new homes.
Checking In On Former Cardinals In Their New Homes
A 2024 Home Run Leader
The Cardinals traded outfielder Tyler O’Neill to the Boston Red Sox in the offseason for bullpen help. So far in 2024, O’Neill is one of the top home run hitters in MLB with nine dingers, just one off the league-leading number. He is finding the barrel of his bat, an optimal combination of launch angle and exit velocity, on 10.2 percent of his batted ball events according to Baseball Savant. His barrel percentage is the 15th-best in the league. O’Neill is also the league leader in home runs per at bat, hitting one out of the park roughly every 10 at-bats.
O’Neill and Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol had some disagreements in 2023, which could have factored into his trade when the team looked to move an outfielder. He has proven to be an asset for the Red Sox and has three more home runs than current 2024 Cardinals home run leader Willson Contreras.
Strong Starter in the Bay
Jordan Hicks was moved at the 2023 trade deadline for pitching prospects. Hicks was once the Cardinals closer and has settled into a starting role for the San Francisco Giants in 2024. Hicks has a 1.89 ERA and a 1.026 WHIP with the Giants so far along with a 2-1 record. He was known with the Cardinals for having one of the fastest four-seamers in the game. Hicks is now only throwing it between five and six percent of the time. Hicks is in the top seven percent of the league in ground ball percentage at 58 percent. His pitching run value with the Giants this year is in the top five percent in MLB, according to Baseball Savant.
Former Top Prospect Contributing in Detroit
A former Cardinals star and top prospect, Jack Flaherty is having a bounce-back season for the Detroit Tigers. Through six starts, Flaherty has a 4.00 ERA and a 0-1 record, but his WHIP is a stellar 1.028 and he has struck out 50 batters. This included a 14-strikeout performance against his former team on April 30. Flaherty is in the top three percent of the league in whiff percentage, drawing swinging strikes on more than 37% of the attempts against him. He’s also in the top 10 percent of the league in both strikeout percentage and walk percentage. The Cardinals sent Flaherty to the Baltimore Orioles at the 2023 deadline before he ultimately signed with the Tigers in the offseason to join what has become a dominant rotation.
Jack Flaherty showed out against his former team 😤 pic.twitter.com/yKfbV9Z32S
— MLB (@MLB) April 30, 2024
From St. Louis to the World Series
The Cards also moved Jordan Montgomery at the deadline in 2023 for pitching prospects. He went on to win the World Series with the Texas Rangers. Montgomery had an expiring contract and didn’t sign with another team until after the 2024 season started. He ultimately signed with the Arizona Diamondbacks and through three starts has been knocking off the rust from not having a typical spring training. He is 1-2 with a 5.63 ERA through three starts while striking out eight batters in those games. Montgomery is in the top 25 percent of the league in walk rate, giving a free pass to just four batters so far.
Stars Traded from Cardinals in the Past Five Years
While the Cardinals struggle with outfield injuries in 2024, they have traded multiple starting outfielders away in the past several years. These former Cardinals outfielders have also impressed in their new homes. Randy Arozarena and Adolis García have both played in a World Series since St. Louis traded them away. Harrison Bader has been a starter on both New York MLB clubs now. Former top pitching prospects Sandy Alcantara and Zac Gallen have both dazzled with the Miami Marlins and Diamondbacks respectively.
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