4 recent St. Louis Cardinals whose careers went awry

Shelby Miller, RHP

Shelby Miller was the Cardinals’ first pick in the 2009 draft, and in his first full season, he seemed to be a rising star. Miller delivered a masterful performance on May 10, 2013, where he allowed a hit to the first Colorado Rockies batter he faced and then retired the next 27 batters, 13 on strikeouts, to earn a complete game shutout.

Miller had a decent 2014, where he pitched to an ERA of 3.74, but the Cardinals traded him to the Atlanta Braves in November deal that brought Jason Heyward to St. Louis after the untimely death of outfielder Oscar Taveras, which left a hole in the outfield. In 2015, Miller had an odd year, where he was an All-Star despite leading the major leagues in losses, with 17, because of nearly nonexistent run support.

The Braves then dealt Miller to the Arizona Diamondbacks after that season, with first overall pick Dansby Swanson going to Atlanta in return. Miller completely disintegrated in his first year with Arizona: He pitched to a miserable 6.15 ERA and missed most of 2017, returning to the major leagues on June 25, 2018. He continued to roll downhill upon his return, and the Diamondbacks let him go as a free agent after the season.

Miller signed with the Texas Rangers to start 2019, but the team designated him for assignment on July 1 after an 8.59 ERA. He bounced around the minor leagues with a few other teams, and in 2022, playing for minor league affiliates of the New York Yankees and San Francisco Giants, he has compiled a respectable ERA of 2.87 in 53.1 innings. There could be time for Miller to salvage his career, but he is 31, so that time needs to come soon.