The St. Louis Cardinals’ Architects of the Future

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The Scouting Director

Credit: Steven Branscombe-USA TODAY Sports

In the wake of the hacking allegations in June that are still playing out, the St. Louis Cardinals dropped scouting director Chris Correa, replacing him with Randy Flores. Flores will be crucial in helping Mozeliak make roster-bolstering moves in the coming years. Is he up to the task?

As many St. Louis Cardinals fans know, Flores is no stranger to pressure. He was a middle reliever in the big leagues for eight years. He spent five of those seasons with the Redbirds, so he comes into the job knowing all about the Cardinal Way.

Flores got out of pro ball altogether after he retired in 2010, returning to USC to complete his master’s in education. Meanwhile, he served as the Trojans’ assistant baseball coach.

Unhappy with the options he had to study video of his pitchers and hitters, Flores founded OnDeck Digital, a company that uses video capture technology to allow players to critique themselves. More than ten Major League teams currently use the service, which also lets scouts and player development personnel evaluate talent. 

Job number one for Flores will be evaluating who the St. Louis Cardinals can draft to bolster the farm system. One of the names he’ll be watching closely is the Florida Gators’ 6-7, 225-lb. left-hander A.J. Puk (above).

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