This would not be the first time a former top prospect for the St. Louis Cardinals has found success elsewhere. While not every phenom will become Randy Arozarena or Adolis Garcia, St. Louis has a history of abandoning up on talent prematurely.
The Cardinals had boasted a promising young outfield that included Dylan Carlson, Tyler O’Neill, and Lars Nootbaar. Only Nootbaar remains, and O’Neill impressed during a brief stop at Fenway Park. O’Neill has two gold gloves and once finished seventh in the National League MVP voting. That wasn’t good enough for the Cardinals and Mozeliak, who released him.
Meanwhile, Carlson’s stay in St. Louis was more complicated. Carlson is best suited as a platoon bat at this stage of his career. He currently has a.285 career hitting average against left-handed pitchers and is still progressing. Carlson is also a solid defender according to most sophisticated measures. This is why the Baltimore Orioles signed him without hesitation. Mike Elias is aware of Carlson’s status, and while it is not very outstanding, he will play a role in the upcoming 162-game season.
Baltimore Orioles could take advantage of another John Mozeliak mistake
Mozeliak has made little plans for the future. He will give way to Chaim Bloom next winter while remaining with the Cardinals in a new capacity. Mozeliak has consistently disappointed fans in recent years, and this winter is no exception. The Cardinals saw Paul Goldschmidt depart and want to trade Nolan Arenado. Those two sluggers were once unstoppable and the focal points of the Cardinals’ next great lineup. What happened?
If St. Louis had a plan or were prepared to execute on their instincts this winter, I wouldn’t be as pessimistic about the current situation. However, apart of Masyn Winn and a few other young players (excluding Jordan Walker, who is in his own mess), St. Louis does not have much to look forward to in 2025. Hopefully, some important contributors emerge, as Cardinals fans deserve more and are among the most knowledgeable baseball fans in MLB.
For the time being, they are being taken advantage of, and they have little recourse. If Carlson and O’Neill perform well in Baltimore, they will carry with them all of Mozeliak’s remaining reputation in the Lou.
