The curious case of Luken Baker and Cardinals' prospects who never got a fair shake
The Cardinals have a track record of not giving much runway for high performing prospects
Prospects who have earned the right to have a call-up by performing to the best of their ability by their respected Major League club should get playing time.
That should never be asked as a question but should be finished with an exclamation point.
Jordan Walker is the exception to the rule as Walker has been the top prospect in the St. Louis Cardinals organization for two years now so with the hype comes the opportunity.
But for some reason, other St. Louis Cardinal prospects who indeed get called up are treated differently. The latest Cardinal prospect to get this treatment was first baseman Luken Baker, who saw 14 big-league at-bats in four games played. Here is a short list of prospects (both past and present) who never received ample playing time by the Cardinals and was traded, released, or moved on to other organizations and turned themselves into good, major-league players.
Present Day St. Louis Cardinal Players
Luken Baker
I started this topic with Baker because he is the most recent minor league player that had a really good season at AAA Memphis and got the call up…but didn't get much playing time.
Baker was crushing the ball down in Memphis to start the season, sporting a stat line of a .313 average while hitting 17 bombs, 50 RBI, and amassing a .434 OBP and .641 slugging percentage.
Then, the Cardinals came calling and Baker earned his first major league start at DH on June 4 against the Pittsburgh Pirates. In his first game, the 6’4”, 280-pound behemoth of a man went 2-for-4. The very next day, Baker went 1-for-4 at the plate.
After that the second-round selection from TCU in the 2018 MLB draft earned just six more at-bats, going 1-for-5 against the Cincinnati Reds five days later on June 10, and was used as a pinch-hitter three days later against the Giants.
Baker did not accumulate another AB until being dispatched back down to Memphis on June 21.
Since being sent back down to AAA, Baker is back crushing the ball for the Redbirds and has hit two home runs in two straight games.
Why didn't St. Louis Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol stick with Baker, who was hitting the ball at an impressive clip, at DH? He could’ve even spelled Paul Goldschmidt at first base and given Goldy some much-needed time off defensively to keep his legs fresh.
Ivan Herrera
Another present-day player in the Cardinal’s organization that has been rarely seen playing time while being called up is catcher Ivan Herrera. Currently the sixth-ranked prospect in the organization, Herrera has impressed both offensively and defensively with many in the organization saying he would likely be the heir-apparent to take over catching duties when Yadier Molina retired.
That time has come and gone with very little playing time nor success at the major league level for Herrera. The organization decided acquiring Willson Contreras in the off-season rather than promoting Herrera was the better choice but where does that leave Herrera?
Herrera, now 23 years old, has been at times very streaky with the bat but has improved defensively by leaps and bounds. Herrera has hit well this season at Memphis spawning a .291 average while hitting seven long balls and driving in 37 runs in 172 ABs.
There has been some chatter about possibly moving Herrera for some pitching but I would sure hate to see this young phenom prosper on another team, aka Randy Arozarena, and Herrera blow up just because the organization didn't take a good, hard look at him and give him the chance to perform.
Speaking of Randy Arozarena…
Past St. Louis Cardinal players
Randy Arozarena
Letting Randy Arozarena get away still burns down deep in my core to this very day.
While Arozarena was still with the St. Louis Cardinal organization, it took a while for the phenom from Cuba to catch on to professional hitting.
But everybody knows the old saying, “Good things come to those who wait”. And the Cardinal’s front office was not willing to wait.
Arozarena’s first minor league season with the Cardinals was in 2017 when he was ranked as one of the Top 15 prospects in the Cardinals' minor league system. Arozarena produced but not at an impressive clip, adapting to hitting against better competition than what he was used to while playing down in Mexico where the now 2021 Major League Rookie of the Year resides.
The 2018 season brought even better results for Aroazarena, starting out at AA Springfield where he crushed Texas league pitching at a .396 clip in his first 91 ABs and smacked seven home runs while driving in 21 RBI.
The start of the 2019 season for Arozarena was a strong one as the then 24-year-old started out the season at AA Springfield but soon made his way to Memphis, destroying pitching along the way with an eventual major league callup on August 14 against the Kansas City Royals. Arozarena played 19 games with St. Louis, hitting .300 with one home run, two RBIs, and two stolen bases.
The following off-season, Arozarena was traded to Tampa Bay which many Cardinal fans believe is one of the worst trades that VP of Baseball Operations John Mozeliak has ever completed.
Arozarena has become a perennial All-Star, fan-favorite, and ambassador for the game of baseball all over the world while his flair and his enthusiasm for the game makes all baseball fans love him.
Adolis Garcia
Our last player is yet another case of the “one that got away.”
Cuban-born Adolis Garcia was signed by the Cardinals in 2017 as a free agent and made his way to AA Springfield where the then 23-year-old hit .285 and recorded 12 home runs and 55 RBI before being promoted to AAA Memphis where he played in 40 games and hit .301 with three round-trippers and drove in 10 RBI and smashed 11 doubles to end his first season in the Cardinal organization hitting .290 to go with 15 home runs and 65 RBI.
Garcia continued his assault on minor league pitching in 2018 and 2019 with AAA Memphis, recording a .254 average while totaling 54 home runs and 167 RBI and was called up called up St. Louis for one stint in 2018 where he seldom saw the field and was only given 17 AB’s.
Since being traded to the Texas Rangers in the 2020 off-season for cash considerations, Garcia has been arguably the most productive bat in the Rangers organization, hitting a cumulative .243 but has mashed 77 dingers to go with 255 RBI in three years.
Nobody likes to think about would've, should've could've but I for one think if we had Arozarena and Garcia back and seen more of them at the major league level, we would have one talented outfield. I just hope that if Herrera and Baker are dealt in trades, the front office gives them a good look before dealing them.