Here is how a team of former Cardinals would stack up in 2023

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It is very easy to look back at previous deals and players who went unsigned for the Cardinals and think "Surely, they would do better than the players we retained." While that may be the case for some positions, the Cardinals appear to be doing well with the roster they currently have compared to former players. What would a roster of all ex-Cardinals look like?

Some stipulations for this exercise: the players chosen must have started multiple games at that particular position. While Marcell Ozuna is having a good season and has played in left field, 2 games out of 131 games in left field is not a sufficient amount played to count him in the outfield. Another stipulation is that the player chosen must have played games at the major league level in St. Louis. Prospects will not be counted.

Let's take a look at former Cardinals players at a variety of positions and if this team of ex-Cardinals would be better than the current roster.

Infielders

Catcher: Carson Kelly

Carson Kelly is the best option out of a handful of bad former catchers from the Cardinals system. Though Kelly was once touted as a stout defender with a capable bat, he has since fallen very quickly. In 2023, Kelly has accrued -0.2 WAR with a slash line of .202/.262/.269 for an OPS+ of 48. Kelly has had a bad season, but he is the best catcher who once played for the Cardinals.

First Base: Matt Carpenter

First base is another position that has seen former Cardinals players struggle. Matt Carpenter would be the starter for a team of ex-Cardinals in 2023. He, too, has -0.2 WAR for the 2023 season, but he has played 13 games at first base, thus qualifying him for this exercise. Carpenter has a slash line of .176/.322/.319 for an OPS+ of 82. Carp's 17.3% walk percentage is helping him stay relevant, but the rest of his offensive and defensive profile isn't helping his case to be a starter.

Second Base: Kolten Wong

With the emergence of Nolan Gorman, the front office decided to let various second basemen go. Kolten Wong was a fan favorite for many years. Since his departure, Wong has played for Milwaukee, Seattle, and most recently the Dodgers. Wong has a slash line of .169/.242/.256 for an OPS+ of 40. Wong's WAR total sits heavily in the negatives at -1.2. He has had an uninspiring season. The Cardinals should be happy they have stuck with Edman, Donovan, and Gorman at second base this year.

Third Base: Edmundo Sosa

Edmundo Sosa was a role player for the Cardinals. He was able to play multiple positions with relative competence. However, the team wanted top prospect Nolan Gorman to get more run at second base, and Nolan Arenado wasn't giving up any playing time at the hot corner. Therefore, the Cardinals traded Sosa for reliever Jojo Romero. This year, Sosa has played third base primarily (80 games). He has a .257/.300/.435 slash line, good for a 98 OPS+. Sosa would be much more serviceable than the other former third basemen.

Shortstop: Paul DeJong

Do you miss him yet? Paul DeJong was the one player on the Cardinals who would evoke a strong reaction from every fan in every direction. Either you loved his defense and lived with his bat, or you wanted him gone more and more as each day passed. Since DeJong was traded, he has not hit the ball well at all. In his 29 games for Toronto and San Francisco, he has a negative OPS+, a batting average well below .150, and has struck out 34 times to 0 walks. DeJong would not be a good replacement as a former Cardinal, but he has been the best shortstop to leave the team.

Outfield/DH

Designated Hitter: Marcell Ozuna

Now we start getting into the good players. The Cardinals traded for Marcell Ozuna back in 2018. The former All-Star had a couple of decent seasons for the Cardinals, but he did not live up to his hype or the return the Cardinals sent the Marlins. The Atlanta Braves signed him in the 2019-2020 offseason, and he has been a pretty good player for them. In 2023 alone, Ozuna has a slash line of .266/.338/.531 for an OPS+ of 129. His main contributions have come from his massive power output (35 home runs). Ozuna would be a force in the middle of a 2023 ex-Cardinals lineup.

Left Field: Randy Arozarena

Randy Arozarena sure has been fun to watch for the Tampa Bay Rays this year. He would clearly be the starting left fielder in a team of ex-Cardinals. In 2023, Arozarena is hitting .259/.367/.428 for an OPS+ of 120. He has racked up 3.7 bWAR and has been an energetic player. While his defense is nothing to write home about (-7 outs above average), his offense and charisma would provide a great boost to a team that needs some energy.

Center Field: Harrison Bader

Health has been the main detriment to Harrison Bader's 2023 season. The 29-year-old center fielder has always had supreme defense. His offense has always been something that lagged behind. For a career league-average hitter, the defense was essential to Bader's play. In 2023, Bader has a slash line of .232/.274/.348 for an OPS+ of 69; these numbers are significantly lower than his career averages, and Bader is currently fighting to see innings for the Cincinnati Reds.

Despite Bader's poor offensive showing, his defense has been as strong as ever. In just under 400 innings, Bader has tallied 10 outs above average. He is also still a speed demon, with an average sprint speed in the 85th percentile. While Harrison's bat won't provide much pop to a lineup, his speed sure will.

Right Field: Adolis Garcia

It is heartbreaking to see so many former Cardinals start in the All-Star Game for another team. Adolis Garcia was one of those three players this past year. While Garcia was never a top prospect nationally, he was a pretty strong minor leaguer who didn't quite perform at the major league level in 2018 for the Cardinals. He barely hit 20 games and had only 17 plate appearances, but his statistics were not the best. Since joining the Rangers, Garcia has done nothing but mash. This year, he has gathered 3.7 bWAR with a triple slash of .244/.322/.494 and an OPS+ of 119. While Garcia is prone to strikeouts, he is an RBI machine (100). He has been excellent at driving in runners.

Garcia's defense would be excellent in right field. He ranks in the 95th percentile for arm strength, and he has 2 outs above average on the season. While I won't complain about a stud rookie like Jordan Walker, it would be nice to have a more sure glove in the corner outfield.

Lane Thomas also deserves recognition for this spot. He has a .272/.319/.471 slash line for an OPS+ of 116. He has accrued 3.2 fWAR this season so far. Garcia narrowly beats him out, however.

Rotation

There are a few pitchers who have been dominant and were once starters in the Cardinals' system; however, they did not see major league innings. Therefore, they do not qualify for this exercise. Zac Gallen would be the most notable pitcher who doesn't qualify, as he never pitched a major league inning for St. Louis.

No. 1 Starter: Jordan Montgomery

While Jordan Montgomery isn't the typical dominant "ace" of a team's starting rotation, he has been a very steady starter for many years now. Sadly, the team's hand was forced this year, and Montgomery was traded at the deadline to the Texas Rangers.

Monty has a 3.47 ERA, 1.221 WHIP, and a 3.55 FIP across 168.2 innings this year. He strikes out about 7.8 batters per nine innings, but he does a great job at limiting home runs and walks. Montgomery would be a very fine "ace" of the Cardinals staff in 2023. Assuming he signs elsewhere this offseason, Montgomery's steady pitching output will be missed in St. Louis.

No. 2 Starter: Sandy Alcantara

In 2022, Sandy Alcantara put on a pitching showcase that hadn't been seen in a long time. He threw well over 200 innings, struck out 207 batters, and won the Cy Young Award. Cardinals fans were rightly furious at the front office for trading away a stud like Sandy.

2023 has been a bit different for the tall righty; while his numbers are still very satisfactory, they aren't quite what Marlins fans became accustomed to in 2021 and 2022. This year, Alcantara has a 4.14 ERA, 4.03 FIP, and a 1.213 WHIP. He isn't striking out as many batters as last year, and he is more prone to homers, but he is still a dominant pitcher who will go deep into games regardless of the score. Alcantara would be a very strong #2 pitcher for the Cardinals this year.

No. 3 Starter: Michael Wacha

The St. Louis Cardinals had one of the best rotations in 2013. The starters that year were either established studs (Wainwright), or up-and-coming youngsters. Michael Wacha was in the latter group. Wacha played 7 seasons in St. Louis and pitched to a 3.91 ERA, 3.96 FIP, and an ERA+ of 102.

The Cardinals chose to not resign Wacha in 2019, and he then spent the next four years playing for a variety of teams. The San Diego Padres signed Wacha this past offseason, and he has not disappointed. This year, Wacha has a 3.43 ERA, 4.16 FIP, 1.214 WHIP, and an ERA+ of 119. Wacha is also striking out nearly 9 batters per nine innings. He would slot in very comfortably as the ex-Cardinals' #3 starter.

No. 4 Starter: Jose Quintana

At the Trade Deadline in 2022, the St. Louis Cardinals sent Johan Oviedo to the Pittsburgh Pirates in exchange for the veteran Jose Quintana. Quintana pitched well enough for the Cardinals in the second half of 2022 that he was chosen to start the first Wild Card game that year in the playoffs. The Cardinals chose to not re-sign him, letting him go in free agency.

Quintana started the year on the Injured List for the Mets, but since his return, he has pitched admirably. Through 66 innings this year, Quintana has a 3.02 ERA, 3.38 FIP, 1.279 WHIP, and an ERA+ of 139. Quintana would be a very strong fourth starter in a rotation for any team, especially a playoff-hopeful one.

No. 5 Starter: Jack Flaherty

Jack Flaherty was another pitcher whom the Cardinals traded at this year's deadline. While Flaherty was once a top-5 Cy Young candidate, he was unable to reach those heights again in St. Louis. Injuries and ineffectiveness hampered his ability to control the game.

Flaherty was sent over to the Orioles, where he has struggled. However, on the year, Flaherty would be a very serviceable fifth starter. Across Baltimore and St. Louis in 2023, Jack has a 5.03 ERA, 4.40 FIP, 1.578 WHIP, and an 85 ERA+ across 144 innings. While these numbers aren't ideal for a young, talented pitcher, they would be just fine for a fifth starter.

Full Lineup

The ex-Cardinals lineup and rotation of 2023 appears to be a pretty strong bunch of players. Let's reevaluate those players and a possible lineup construction.

manual

Starting Lineup:
1. Harrison Bader - CF
2. Randy Arozarena - LF
3. Marcell Ozuna - DH
4. Adolis Garcia - RF
5. Edmundo Sosa - 3B
6. Matt Carpenter - 1B
7. Paul DeJong - SS
8. Kolten Wong - 2B
9. Carson Kelly - C

Bench:
Lane Thomas
Brad Miller
Tommy Pham
Patrick Wisdom

Rotation:
Jordan Montgomery
Sandy Alcantara
Michael Wacha
Jose Quintana
Jack Flaherty

Bullpen:
Chris Stratton
Jordan Hicks
Genesis Cabrera
Luis Garcia (Padres)
Joe Kelly

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