St. Louis Cardinals experience staff exodus

John Mozeliak announced in a press conference that Jeff Albert, Mike Maddux and Bryan Eversgerd have left Cardinals

In a stunning announcement, John Mozeliak revealed that Mike Maddux stepped down as the St. Louis Cardinals’ pitching coach and Jeff Albert elected to depart as the hitting coach. Bullpen coach Bryan Eversgerd will also be reassigned as a special assistant in the organization.

According to Mozeliak, Maddux was looking for a change of pace and Albert resigned because he felt he was shouldering too much of the blame when the Cardinals’ offense struggled.

The Cardinals enjoyed a strong offense under Albert in 2022, finishing in the top 10 in most batting statistics. But as fans are aware, the team’s offense was limp in September and October, leading to a quick exit from the playoffs.

The Cardinals’ pitching wasn’t as effective on the season, but the acquisitions of Jose Quintana and Jordan Montgomery contributed to the team’s success in August. It will be interesting to see whether the Cardinals will retain Maddux’s pitch-to-contact philosophy.

The Cardinals have several decisions to make regarding the coaching staff after the three departures as well as that of former bench coach Skip Schumaker, who took a job as the Miami Marlins’ manager on Oct. 25.

While many fans will clamor for Albert Pujols to serve as the team’s hitting coach, Pujols has said that he will honor his 10-year service contract with the Los Angeles Angels, leaving him out of the running for the position. Matt Holliday would be another player who could be interested in the job, although the Cardinals will likely first look internally to fill the role.

An interesting choice for pitching coach could be Yadier Molina. The Cardinals were excellent at reinventing struggling pitchers under the tutelage of former catcher Dave Duncan, who was the Cardinals’ pitching coach from 1996 through 2011. Molina was lauded throughout his career for his ability to work with pitchers, and the Cardinals could have another pitching magician if Molina chooses to return to the team after he finishes his managerial stint in Venezuela.

The press conference sent shock waves throughout St. Louis, and the offseason will be one of the more interesting ones in recent years as the Cardinals look to fill their newly vacant coaching roles.

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