10 Cardinals hitters who were on fire in spring training, then flamed out

Khalil Greene

Spring Training (2009): 71 at-bats, .408/.436/.535, 7 extra-base hits, 17 RBI

Cardinals Regular Season: 170 at-bats, .200/.272/.347, 13 extra-base hits, 24 RBI

After David Eckstein's gritty Cardinals career came to an end following the 2007 season. After three years with the organization and a revolving door at shortstop in 2008, the team decided to go out and bring in a known commodity to handle the position. The Cardinals decided to trade relievers Mark Worrell and Luke Gregerson to the Padres for former first-round pick and high-pedigree player Khalil Greene.

Greene was a top prospect coming out of Clemson in the 2002 MLB draft, and the Padres used their first-round selection on the budding star. He made his major league debut in 2003 before taking on the full-time shortstop of the future role in 2004, where he finished second in the Rookie of the Year voting after a 15-homer, .795 OPS season. Greene's power and flash at shortstop stayed consistent in San Diego, as he matched that home run mark in each of the next two seasons before an offensive explosion in 2007. Then 26, Greene popped 27 homers, knocked in 97 runs, and had his best defensive performance at short. However, that success was short-lived, and his 2008 season began his struggles, as he was a negative WAR player with a .213 batting average and .599 OPS in 105 games.

The Padres decided it was time to move on from Greene and shipped him to St. Louis for two relievers after the Cardinals looked to steady the shortstop position once Eckstein headed to Toronto. The change of scenery appeared to do wonders for the former Clemson standout, as he hit .408 with six doubles, a homer, and 17 RBI over 71 at-bats and only struck out four times. The Cardinals appeared to be clear winners of the trade and looked to have their shortstop for the near future.

Once the Cardinals left Jupiter, however, Greene started to severely struggle. Over the first two months, he tallied 12 hits and his batting average hovered near the Mendoza line. At the end of May, it was announced that the Cardinals placed Greene on the 15-day IL due to social anxiety disorder, as the pressure to perform at the highest level started to become too much for him. While on a rehab assignment, the Cardinals were hoping a shift to third base would take some of the spotlight off of him and called him back up in mid-June. Issues persisted, though, and Greene would make another anxiety-induced trip to the injured list before returning to St. Louis in August. The remainder of the season was more of the same as he only played in 30 more games, notching eight hits before electing free agency in the offseason. Greene signed a deal with the Texas Rangers but was released a month later.

Cardinal legend Adam Wainwright recalls a conversation with the shortstop where he told Waino "When I get done with baseball, you will probably never see me or hear of me again." This has held true, as repeated attempts to contact him have ended with just finding out his approximate whereabouts. Greene's career is a reminder that professional athletes are people too and there is an extreme mental strain of having to perform every day. Hopefully, fans understand that their actions can have negative consequences in a world where mental health is increasingly important.