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

RHP Sandy Alcantara

Speaking of that Marcell Ozuna trade.

Sandy Alcantara was one of three players who were sent to the Miami Marlins for Marcell Ozuna. Alcantara was the club's ninth-ranked prospect according to MLB Pipeline at the time, and the 22-year-old right-handed pitcher had minimal experience up to that point.

Alcantara played in only eight games for the Cardinals in 2017 as a reliever. He had a 4.32 ERA with 10 strikeouts and six walks. He allowed two home runs in his limited time in the majors in 2017. Where Alcantara's true potential shone was in his minor-league showing that year. Alcantara pitched in Springfield primarily that year, and he struck out 106 batters in 125.1 innings. He posted a 4.31 ERA that year for the club's Double-A affiliate.

Alcantara's showing in the Arizona Fall League that year was much improved, as he struck out 14 batters in only 15 innings, and he had a 4.20 ERA across five starts.

Alcantara boasted a plus fastball that floated around 97 MPH and touched 100 on occasion. His mid-80s slider was his best swing-and-miss pitch, and he finished out his repertoire with a curveball and an inconsistent changeup.

Alcantara was still a raw prospect at the time, but the tall righty had plenty of promise.

Rather than keep Alcantara and give him time to develop with other young pitchers, the Cardinals opted to trade him to fill a hole on the major league roster. John Mozeliak saw other pitching prospects, primarily Alex Reyes, Jack Flaherty, Luke Weaver, and Dakota Hudson, as a higher priority than Alcantara. Therefore, a trade was feasible.

After a brief reintroduction to the majors in 2018 with the Marlins, Alcantara found his stride. He started 28 or more games in every season (2020 excluded) from 2019 through 2023. He won the National League Cy Young Award in 2022, and he's been the Marlins' resident ace since 2019. Wouldn't the Cardinals love having a pitcher like Sandy on their roster now?

If the Cardinals were taking a "let the kids play" approach in 2017 and 2018 like they are now, Sandy Alcantara could still be a Cardinal at the top of the rotation.