4 ex-Cardinals who would have benefited from the current youth movement approach

The goal of the 2025 season for the St. Louis Cardinals isn't primarily to win a World Series. It probably isn't even to win the National League Central.

While both of those accomplishments would be glorious following two straight seasons without a playoff berth, they aren't the guiding force behind John Mozeliak's and Oliver Marmol's decisions this year.

Rather, the rudder of the Cardinals is being directed by one force: growth. Growth in prospect depth. Growth in organizational coaches and executives. Individual growth by players.

Young players like Jordan Walker, Nolan Gorman, Masyn Winn, Alec Burleson, Ryan Fernandez, Matthew Liberatore, and Lars Nootbaar are being prioritized this year with consistent at-bats and outings. For the pitchers, they'll be given opportunities to get out of jams or pitch in unique situations.

For hitters, they'll be left in games regardless of in-game performance or situations. For example, Nolan Gorman is in the midst of a four-game stretch where Oli Marmol has said that the young second baseman will start each game. On Tuesday against the Atlanta Braves, Gorman started out 0-4, and he stranded three runners.

However, rather than pinch-hitting rookie Thomas Saggese in the eighth inning in a tie game for Gorman, Marmol opted to let Gorman take his final at-bat. Gorman came up clutch with a three-RBI double to right field. The ball left Gorman's bat at 107.2 MPH with a 13-degree launch angle. It was the exact type of hit that we've been expecting out of Gorman since he came up three years ago.

This newfound approach to team management has allowed these players to work out the kinks in their games. In the past, struggling players like Ryan Fernandez, Nolan Gorman, and Jordan Walker would have been demoted to Triple-A Memphis to figure out their game. If they weren't able to make the necessary adjustments, they would become trade fodder to supplement the major-league roster.

The Cardinals took this approach for years. They were a contending team that needed reinforcements at the highest level of the organization, and the development of players was sacrificed for the immediate returns in the majors. John Mozeliak made deadline deals for pitchers and position players to assist a playoff push on numerous occasions.

Offseason trades to find legitimate position players and pitchers were done at the sacrifice of the prospect pipeline. The Marcell Ozuna trade is a perfect example of this approach. The Cardinals were desperate for a middle-of-the-order power bat to pair with Matt Carpenter. They thought they found that in Ozuna. The left fielder regressed significantly, and the Cardinals clearly lost this trade.

If the organization were taking its current approach back then, that trade would have never happened.

With the benefit of hindsight, we can now reflect on former Cardinals who have thrived elsewhere. If the Cardinals would have taken a "let them play" approach prior to their departures, we wouldn't have had to watch these players experience success outside of St. Louis. Rather, we would have seen them lead the club to success over the last half-decade.

These four former Cardinals would have benefited tremendously if the St. Louis Cardinals had taken their 2025 organizational approach while they were still with the team.