The St. Louis Cardinals have faced criticism for letting talented players move on to success elsewhere. But there have been some players it was a good idea to move on from when they did.
Not all St. Louis Cardinals transactions end in disaster with the leaving player becoming a superstar elsewhere. even if it feels that way. That is always the fear, but some players overstayed their welcome with the Cards, and how they play now substantiates this information.
Let's go down memory lane to recall some of these former Cardinals who are now failing miserably elsewhere.
St. Louis Cardinals players failing: Matt Carpenter is failing miserably
Matt Carpenter had a reasonably successful decade with the Cardinals. Reasonably because the last two seasons were a disaster since he didn't seem to vibe with the hitting analytics approach that the team was adhering to with then-coach Jeff Albert.
In his last season with the Cardinals in 2021, he hit .169/.305/.275 with three home runs and 21 RBIs. In 2022 he signed with the Yankees and seemed to return to form. He hit .305/.412/.727 with 15 home runs and 37 RBI.
This season he signed with the Padres, and he has regressed. This season he's hitting 180/.310/.327 with four home runs and 27 RBI. Carpenter is not the hitter he once was for the Cardinals, or even the Yankees for that matter.
The 37-year-old signed a two-season contract with the Padres for $12 million. He'll be a free agent again in 2024. The Padres have a lot of young talent, and having Carpenter around will provide some veteran leadership that is desperately needed with the team's wide variety of personalities this season.
St. Louis Cardinals players failing: Corey Dickerson is failing miserably
The Cardinals signed Dickerson to be the left-handed designated hitter for the team. He was so much more for the Cardinals, as injuries made him a valuable asset in the outfield. While with the Cardinals, he hit .267/.300/.399 with six home runs and 36 RBI.
The Cardinals did not re-sign him and allowed him to sign with the Nationals. In 32 games, he's hitting .237/.273/.366 with two home runs and 13 RBI.
While Dickerson was a helpful piece to the roster for the Cardinals, he's failing in his role with the Nationals. Luckily, he was again signed to a one-season deal worth $2.25 million and will be a free agent in the offseason.
St. Louis Cardinals players failing: Johan Oviedo is failing miserably
Oviedo began his career with the Cardinals in the Covid-19 shortened 2020 season. In five games, Oviedo was 0-3. In 13 games started in 2021, he was 0-5. In 2022, he followed on the same track but was traded at the deadline to the Pirates for Jose Quintana.
Oviedo is 25 and is playing on a $735K deal for the Pirates. He's started 17 games this season and is 3-9. He's thrown 81 strikeouts over 93.2 innings, compiling an ERA of 4.61.
Cardinals fans feared he would follow the same track as Sandy Alcantara and become an ace. But Oviedo is showing the same performance track, and it's unfortunate for him. Maybe he can find more success as a relief pitcher.
St. Louis Cardinals players still excelling: Harrison Bader is picking up speed
The trade of Harrison Bader to the Yankees for Jordan Montgomery was one of the most shocking deals ever pulled off by Cardinals President of Baseball Operations John Mozeliak. The Cardinals desperately needed starting pitching and, while he was injured, the Yankees needed an outfielder in the mold of Bader.
Montgomery succeeded in his couple of months with the Cardinals, and while he's struggled this season, he has been heating up of late, even becoming the winning pitcher in a game against his old team on Sunday. He pitched 6.2 innings, giving up three hits and a walk while striking out six batters. He's now 6-7 on the season. He has improved from where he started this season, and that's great.
Bader started the season on the injured list again and has struggled to return. He's played 36 games this season, slashing .262/.286/.468 with six home runs and 23 RBI. He's attempting to make his way back with the team and is taking his time, which is OK, but we are in July now. Yankees fans are getting understandably anxious, considering the fact that the Yankees winning percentage is .128 better in games that Bader plays in (25 wins, 12 losses).
