Due to Gary LaRocque’s departure from the team, the St. Louis Cardinals’ player development staff was appropriately reorganised this summer. LaRocque was ultimately to blame for some recent scouting department setbacks and the incapacity to nurture highly regarded talents like Jordan Walker and Dylan Carlson.
There are plenty of former Cardinals who have excelled on other teams, which may be even more worrisome. Adolis Garcia and Randy Arozarena, for example, plagued St. Louis baseball fans during the postseason only last season. Garcia later played for the Texas Rangers and won a World Series.
The penalty is arguably worse this October. On consecutive days, Jack Flaherty and Lane Thomas, both former Cardinals in their own way, had two unforgettable postseason moments.Lane Thomas is a former Cardinals outfielder who didn’t work out
In Game 5 of the Cleveland Guardians’ ALDS series victory over the Detroit Tigers, Thomas hit a grand slam off Tarik Skubal. He’s a fairly good Skubal. He is actually the front-runner to win the AL Cy Young! In 2021, Thomas, a former Cards prospect, flamed out.
After spending three seasons in the major leagues in St. Louis, he slashed to open his final season with a dismal 32-game record.104/.259/.125 with only one RBI in that amount of time. The Cardinals’ decision to punt on Thomas is difficult to criticise, but it may speak more about their development team than the player.
Jack Flaherty is making Cardinals fans pay
In contrast to Thomas, Flaherty spent the better part of seven seasons playing for the Cardinals. After hitting a brick wall in 2023, the homegrown star was transferred to the Baltimore Orioles for prospects during a contract year. Despite finishing fourth in the 2019 NL Cy Young vote, Flaherty was unable to duplicate that accomplishment until this season in Detroit.
At the trade deadline, Flaherty was sent to Los Angeles after finishing 7-5 in Detroit this season. The move was a dream come true for Flaherty, who grew up in California as a Dodgers fan, and it ultimately benefited both parties. Trey Sweeney, who was sent to Detroit as part of the return package, helped the Tigers qualify for the postseason.
In contrast, Flaherty had one of his greatest starts of the season in Game 1 of the NLCS. Flaherty allowed no runs and only two hits in seven innings.
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