The St. Louis Cardinals have non-tendered pitcher Adam Kloffenstein, almost 22 weeks after he made a strong impact in the big leagues. The announcement came on Friday, and he became the second pitcher acquired by St. Louis at the 2023 trade deadline to be removed from the 40-man roster.
The move leads us to believe that John Mozeliak and the front staff made a huge mistake in signing an agreement on June 30, 2023.
The former Blue Jay right-hander was traded to Missouri along with Sem Robberse for Jordan Hicks, a dynamic flamethrower. All Hicks did was become one of four Toronto starting pitchers to have an earned run average of less than 2.70 in at least 24 innings pitched that season. Furthermore, the Texas native registered a 1.083 WHIP, while his sweeper — Hicks’ go-to pitch in 2023 — was hit at a.136 pace, according to Statcast.
He signed a four-year contract with the San Francisco Giants in January of last year and has since become a starter. Hicks started strong in his new job, but cooled off rapidly in July. He still added value after moving to the bullpen, particularly in August, when he surrendered a single in seven appearances.
John Mozeliak’s latest glaring Cardinals mistake couldn’t be more obvious
It’s not like Kloffenstein was expected to be St. Louis’ next Adam Wainwright or something, but the fact that he was non-tendered over 15 months after being traded isn’t a good picture for the team. Last season, Hicks showed hints of brilliance as a starter, but the Cards refused to give one-half of the return from a deal a fair chance in the majors.
It made perfect sense to keep onto this guy. There appeared to be a reality in which Kloffenstein played a role in St. Louis’ bullpen. That notion is no longer valid, as other brands have the opportunity to crack the code.
The pressure now heats up on Dutch native Sem Robberse
Kloffenstein, who was ranked as the organization’s 19th-best prospect in January by Prospects1500, threw a flawless inning in his MLB debut at Rickwood Field in June. His tidy inning of work laid the groundwork for Ryan Helsley. The former fifth-round draft pick struck out two on his way to his 25th save that night. Real Rickwood fans will remember him as a legend.
The spotlight has shifted to the other side of the Hicks deal: Robberse. He hopes to make this trade appear less disastrous than it already is. In 2024, the ex-Dutch Major League pitcher pitched 84.1 innings for Triple-A Memphis with an ERA of 4.59. He pitched into the sixth inning eight times, including an eight-inning, nine-strikeout outing in April.
