Latest Cardinals roster move continues to expose their organizational failures

The Dylan Carlson saga has come to a frustrating and puzzling conclusion in St. Louis, as they have designated reliever Shawn Armstrong for assignment and recalled Riley O'Brien from Triple-A Memphis.

At the 2024 trade deadline, Cardinals president John Mozeliak was clear about the team's needs: a starting pitcher, a right-handed outfield bat, and a reliever. The Cardinals struck early acquiring Erick Fedde and Tommy Pham from the White Sox in a three-team trade that sent Tommy Edman to the Dodgers, but still needed a reliever in the waning hours of the deadline. With the asking prices for higher-end relievers higher than anticipated, the Cardinals acquiring Shawn Armstrong for former top-prospect Dylan Carlson was underwhelming to many.

However, Armstrong's 5.40 ERA with the Rays this season sold him significantly short. His 3.77 FIP indicated quite a bit of bad luck, and his performance in 2023 was tantalizing. Upon arriving in St. Louis, the 33-year-old channeled more of his 2023 self rather than matching his disappointing first half. In 11 appearances, Armstrong logged 12.2 innings and recorded a 2.84 ERA and 2.77 FIP. While his strikeout numbers were lower, his extremely concerning walk rate was more than cut in half.

What makes this move even more puzzling is that Riley O'Brien was already on the 40-man roster. Other relievers with options remaining and who haven't performed up to his recent standards could've gone down to Memphis rather than cutting ties with Armstrong. Perhaps the Cardinals would rather have Kyle Leahy over Armstrong, but that would be yet another case of poor roster management from an organization grasping at straws to stay in contention.

Another possibility is that this move is the first of many as the Cardinals punt on the 2024 season. Like the Los Angeles Angels in 2023, the Cardinals may be getting ready to put a few of their other expiring contracts on waivers to save some salary. Perhaps Lance Lynn, Kyle Gibson, or even Paul Goldschmidt could be on their way out sooner rather than later. However, if ownership wants to keep fans in the stands throughout September, that would be a huge slap in the face to the fanbase.

It was frustrating to see Nick Robertson let go so quickly after being acquired for Tyler O'Neill, and seeing Armstrong let go after such a short stint with the Cardinals feels even worse. The Cardinals parted with a former top prospect for essentially nothing, and while it was time to move on from Carlson, such a desperate move is certainly not a good look.