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.

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.

RHP Zac Gallen

Another part of the package for Marcell Ozuna, Zac Gallen didn't actually find his success with the Marlins. That would come much later for the New Jersey native.

The Cardinals drafted Gallen in the third round of the 2016 amateur draft, and he played in High-A, Double-A, and Triple-A for the Cardinals in 2017.

At the time of the trade for Marcell Ozuna, Gallen was the Cardinals' 14th-ranked prospect. He didn't have a particularly overpowering pitch, but his game was founded on command and control. His fastball sat in the low 90s, but his excellent command and arm angle allowed it to play up. His changeup had potential to be a plus pitch, and his breaking stuff was average. Gallen was a low-ceiling, high-floor college pitching prospect with whom the Cardinals typically fell in love.

Gallen made his major-league debut with the Marlins in 2019, and he posted a 2.72 ERA in 36.1 innings across seven starts. The Marlins then swapped young players with the Arizona Diamondbacks during the 2019 trade deadline. The Marlins acquired infield prospect Jazz Chisholm for pitcher Zac Gallen.

Gallen has been one of the best pitchers in the National League since then. He's posted a 3.42 ERA over the last six seasons, and he finished in the top 10 of Cy Young voting three times, including a third-place finish in 2023. Gallen has struck out 9.7 batters per nine innings as a major leaguer, and he's excelled at limiting home runs.

While the pitching prospect depth was heavy for the Cardinals in the 2017-2018 offseason, they never gave Gallen a shot at the majors despite him being a polished college prospect at the time. He had been drafted just a year prior, and his 2.93 ERA across three minor-league levels for the Cardinals in 2017 should have made the organization want to keep him.

If Zac Gallen were a prospect now for the Cardinals, he wouldn't be traded for a bat-first corner outfielder to supplement the major-league roster. Instead, he would likely be given priority as starting pitching depth in the minors.

OF Randy Arozarena

The Randy Arozarena-Matthew Liberatore trade in January of 2020 was lopsided for a very long time. While Liberatore struggled finding his footing (and a role) in the majors, Arozarena was busy racking up postseason accolades and winning with the Tampa Bay Rays. While that equilibrium is becoming more balanced, Cardinal fans can't help but wonder what Randy could have done in St. Louis.

The Cardinals signed the Cuban outfielder in July of 2016 for $1.25 million, and his first full season of pro ball came in 2017. While Arozarena was never a top prospect for the Cardinals, he was certainly viable outfield depth behind top prospects Dylan Carlson and Lane Thomas.

Arozarena made his major-league debut in 2019 for the Cardinals, and he slashed .300/.391/.500 with four strikeouts, two walks, a home run, and a double in 23 plate appearances. He consistently mashed minor-league pitching, as is evidenced by his .853 OPS in the minors.

Arozarena's rookie year with Tampa was full of entertainment. He struck out 170 times, but he slugged 20 home runs, stole 20 bags, and posted a .815 OPS as a 26-year-old. Arozarena was the spark plug for the Rays for several years, and his postseason OPS of 1.273 and 1.074 in 2020 and 2021, respectively, were enviable.

At the time of the trade, the Cardinals were sacrificing a depth prospect for a potential mid-rotation left-handed starting pitcher. This trade isn't one that affected the major-league roster immediately, but it has had ramifications.

Matthew Liberatore has been a reliable reliever for the Cardinals for two years now, and he's showing signs of success as a starter in 2025. However, if he falters or has to be moved back to the 'pen, the Cardinals may be wishing they had kept Arozarena. Their outfield performance has been inconsistent and lackluster since 2021. Their outfielders have produced only 27 fWAR since 2021, 16th most in baseball in that time.

OF Lane Thomas

Few trades are as exemplary of the organization's present-forward approach than the one that included Lane Thomas in 2021. This trade is the epitome of one where the Cardinals trade a prospect for immediate help in the majors.

At the 2021 trade deadline, the Cardinals sent prospect Lane Thomas to the Washington Nationals for veteran pitcher Jon Lester. Lester was 37 at the time, and Thomas had only 122 major-league at-bats to his name. His performance with the Cardinals wasn't overly inspiring, and Tyler O'Neill, Harrison Bader, and Dylan Carlson were much better players than him at the time. Therefore, a trade of a depth outfielder to supplement a weary rotation seemed logical.

Lane Thomas would go on to be a solid outfielder for the Washington Nationals for the next three seasons. Immediately after the trade, Thomas slashed .270/.364/.489 for the Nationals with seven home runs in only 45 games. While Jon Lester was a key contributor down the stretch for the Cardinals, the organization sacrificed years of a young player for a couple of months of an aging starting pitcher.

While Thomas has yet to receive recognition for his efforts in the form of an All-Star appearance or award nominations, he's been the superior outfielder to other players the Cardinals have used in the same time period, including Dylan Carlson and Jordan Walker.

Lane Thomas wouldn't be an All-Star for the Cardinals had he stayed, but he would have been valuable outfield depth behind struggling players (see: Carlson and Walker) or players who experienced frequent injuries (see: also Carlson, Lars Nootbaar, and Tyler O'Neill). Rather than holding on to valuable depth outfielders, John Mozeliak opted for immediate gratification in the form of a veteran on an expiring contract. This approach wouldn't occur in the current state of the organization.