5 players the St. Louis Cardinals did dirty during the 2024 season

Jordan Walker

Like Herrera, the Cardinals made a variety of questionable decisions regarding Jordan Walker in 2024, but the issues really began back in 2023.

Walker was not ready to be on the Cardinals' Major League roster for Opening Day of 2023. Myself and others believed he was, but it became clear quickly that the Cardinals had rushed him, especially with a capable option in Dylan Carlson ready to start while Walker finished getting ready in Memphis.

Instead, Walker struggled in St. Louis, had to spend a month in Memphis to get his swing going, and then was able to finish the 2023 season mashing with the Cardinals. That led me to believe big things were in store for Walker this year, but Walker took multiple steps back instead.

Walker once again began his season in a slump, and his inability to make good swing decisions and maximize his quality of contact led to another demotion to Memphis. This time, Walker remained their the majority of the summer due to continued struggled.

Well, Walker began to catch fire in Memphis, and right as he began to get into a groove, the Cardinals called him back up to St. Louis as they were fighting to keep their playoff hopes alive. While there were mixed opinions about Walker being brought back to St. Louis initially, everyone seemed to agree that their decision to have him come up briefly as a platoon bat and then demote him back to Memphis was a major mistake.

A few weeks later, Walker was recalled to St. Louis, and this time, he was given an everyday role for the rest of the season. But honestly, the damage had already been done, and it was completely fair to say the Cardinals botched his situation for two straight years. That does not absolve Walker from his own struggles, but the Cardinals certainly did things that contributed to them.

Also, like Herrera, the Cardinals did not have an outfield coordinator in recent years, meaning that while the club asked Walker to change positions late in 2022 and had him starting in the outfield on Opening Day in 2023, they did not have the proper coaching in place to set him up for success with that transition. So instead of spending this past offseason building upon the success he found at the plate after being recalled to St. Louis in 2023, Walker was trying to play catch up with his defense, which seems to have contributed to his awful year offensively.

You would think the organization would do everything in its power to set up Walker for success, and yet, here we are.