St. Louis Cardinals
2024 record: 83-79
2nd place, NL Central
Team ERA: 4.04 (16th in MLB)
Team OPS: .704 (15th in MLB)
What Went Right
Well, not enough to prevent Chaim Bloom from slowly taking over control of the Cardinals organization. There certainly were some positives, though. The Cardinals improved from 71 wins in 2023 to 83 wins in 2024, though their Pythagorean win total of 76 is likely a more accurate representation of the club’s performance. Ryan Helsley had a 2.04 ERA and 49 saves. Alec Burleson emerged with a .269 average, 21 home runs, 71 runs scored, 78 RBI and nine stolen bases. Brendan Donovan had a 115 wRC+. Maysn Winn, 22, led the team with 3.6 WAR. Willson Contreras continued to mash at the plate with a 140 wRC+. Lars Nootbaar (114 wRC+) was good again, though injuries limited him to 109 games played. Sonny Gray had an excellent first season with St. Louis. He posted a 2.82 xFIP in 28 starts. Andre Pallante, 25, established himself as a starter with a 3.89 xFIP in 20 starts. Overall, though, it wasn’t enough to stop what will likely be a transition period in future seasons as St. Louis looks to get younger and cheaper at the big league level.
What Went Wrong
The Cardinals were expensive for such a middling team. St. Louis was 13th in payroll and didn’t get enough out of their expensive players, which is why all of them will be available in trade this offseason and Bloom is taking over control of the organization. Nolan Arenado (102 wRC+) had the worst season of his career since coming to St. Louis. Paul Goldschmidt, who the Cardinals reportedly aren’t interested in re-signing this offseason, was just as bad with a 100 wRC+. Miles Mikolas (4.08 xFIP) isn’t much more than an innings eater. Kyle Gibson (4.19 xFIP), Lance Lynn (4.39 xFIP), and Steven Matz (4.50 xFIP) are basically roster fillers. Even Erick Fedde (4.36 xFIP) wasn’t anything special after he was acquired in a midseason trade. For a team desperate for its young players to take a step forward, Nolan Gorman (87 wRC+) and Jordan Walker (72 wRC+) were both flops that strike out way too much with 37 percent and 28 percent strikeout percentages respectively. Gorman’s 2024 season was especially disappointing after he hit 27 home runs with a 118 wRC+ in 119 games in 2023. Victor Scott II, one of the fastest players in the game who stole 94 bases in 132 minor league games in 2023, was a complete failure in his rookie campaign. The 23-year-old posted a 40 wRC+ and just five…