Bloom’s youth movement looks smarter every day with ex-Cardinals injury epidemic

After reading Thomas Gauvain’s great article on Brendan Donovan’s injury, I had a sense that there were a lot of ex-Cardinals who were showing up on the injured list. I was right. Of the 13 players the Cardinals traded away just since 2024, almost half (six) of them are on the injured list, two are in the minors, one is having a terrible year, two are close to the same average player they were here, and only two are having their usual All-Star type seasons. 

OF Tyler O'Neill: Age 30 (Orioles) - Presently on the IL because of a concussion. This is his 18th trip to the IL in nine years.

UTL Tommy Edman: Age 30 (Dodgers) - On the injured list due to ankle surgery.

RHP Phil Maton: Age 33 (Cubs) - Right knee tendinitis 

LHP Bailey Horn: Age 28 (Tigers) - Elbow injury

RHP Sonny Gray: Age 36 (Red Sox) - Hamstring injury

UTL Brendan Donovan: Age 29 (Mariners) - Groin injury

OF Dylan Carlson: Age 27 (Cubs) - On 4/20/2026, he just signed a minor league contract with the Cubs.

RHP Andre Granillo: Age 25 (Nationals) - Now in Triple-A

3B Nolan Arenado: Age 35 (Diamondbacks) - The decline hasn’t stopped declining. His strikeout rate this year has gone from 11% to 22%. His AVG, OBP, and SLG are all substantially lower than last year. Even he has admitted things aren’t going well. 

UTL Richard Palacios: Age 28 (Rays) - Nice player. He has a .280 BA and an .819 OPS. However, Andrew Kittredge came to the Cardinals and pitched very well. 

RHP Erick Fedde: Age 33 (White Sox) - He is pitching for the White Sox this year and is the same pitcher we saw here. A very average starter with a 4.00 ERA and a 0.5 WAR. There are already stories about him being a trade deadline candidate. 

RHP Ryan Helsley: Age 31 (Orioles) - After a bit of a hiccup in 2025, he is back to doing all the Helsley things. 14 strikeouts in 9 innings and no home runs given up. He is 9 for 9 in save opportunities.

1B Willson Contreras: Age 33 (Red Sox) - doing even better than he was with the Cardinals. BA, OPS, and SLG are all better, and he has already been hit by a pitch five times. Reports from Boston say he is having some back issues, so he moves to the top of this list if he goes on the injured list.

Injuries are difficult to predict, but there are some statistics that you can use to curb the risk. Only 10% - 12% of players aged 25-29 show up on the IL at any point during that time. When they reach the age of 30-34, they show up at a 16% rate, and those over 35 jump to 24%. 

This list confirms Bloom’s strategy of trading older players for younger ones. The fact that the farm system has improved so dramatically, from 20th in 2023 to 4th in 2026, is a further sign that the Cardinals just might be on to something here.

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