3 John Mozeliak moves that came back to haunt the Cardinals, and one that worked out

The Cardinals might be a top organization in Major League Baseball, but some of their moves make fans wonder if that is true. 

St. Louis Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak has been conservative in his moves. He has opted to try to develop talent and supplement with outside talent as needed.

This method has been successful in many instances, the Cardinals have plenty of talented, homegrown players who have become successful. At the same time, there have been some moves that make fans scream and resent Mozeliak’s conservative nature as well as the talent evaluation of the organization.

Mozeliak haunting move for Cardinals: Randy Arozarena

After the 2019 season, Randy Arozarena, Jose Martinez, and a Competitive Balance Round A draft selection were traded to the Tampa Bay Rays for their top pitching prospect, Matthew Liberatore, catcher Edgardo Rodriquez, and a Competitive Balance Round B draft choice. The draft pick the Cardinals received was Tink Hence, a top-pitching prospect currently in the minor league system.

At the time, it was believed the Cardinals won this deal as they were moving some congestion from the outfield in exchange for a top pitching prospect.

That mindset changed when Arozarena had a tremendous postseason run in 2020. He was the ALCS MVP that season, leading them to the World Series, where they eventually fell to the Dodgers. He had ten home runs and 14 RBI that postseason run.

This season, Arozarena has been named to the All-Star team. He’s slashing .286/.401/.475 with an OPS of .876, 14 home runs and 54 RBI. These numbers are much better than any of the Cardinals’ current outfielders. But you can also wonder if these numbers would be different if he were to have stayed with the Cardinals. Did he need that change in scenery? Possibly.

Liberatore started this season at AAA Memphis for the Cardinals. Due to a range of issues with the Cardinals’ pitching staff, Liberatore earned a spot in the starting rotation. He’s pitched in seven games, six of which he started. He has 21 strikeouts over 27.1 innings pitched and a 5.60 ERA. He seems to have the same struggles the other Cardinals’ pitching staff is experiencing. Liberatore can potentially be a pivotal piece to the Cardinals’ rotation.

The pain of losing out on Arozarena will subside as soon as Liberatore starts pitching to that potential.