John Mozeliak's prized Cardinals addition left a lot to be desired in 2024

The St. Louis Cardinals are officially eliminated from playoff contention, marking another disappointing campaign for the franchise under president of baseball operations John Mozeliak. To cap off what's been a substandard year, the club has placed starting pitcher Sonny Gray on the 15-day injured list, effectively ending his season.

St. Louis announced Gray will be out due to flexor tendonitis in his right forearm. The Cards recalled Kyle Leahy from Triple-A Memphis in a corresponding move.

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John Mozeliak's prized Cardinals addition, Sonny Gray, done for the year after an uninspiring 2024

Ultimately, it's an unfortunate conclusion to Gray's first season in St. Louis, which fell short of expectations. He went 13-9 with a 3.84 ERA, 1.088 WHIP and 203 strikeouts across 166.1 innings of work. Albeit solid numbers, Mozeliak made him one of the highest-paid pitchers in free agency last offseason. Naturally, Cards fans envisioned getting more out of the right-hander after he received a hefty salary. 

Gray signed a three-year, $75 million contract with the Cardinals this past March. He was the runner-up to New York Yankees ace Gerrit Cole in the AL Cy Young voting with the Minnesota Twins in 2023. His debut season in St. Louis wasn't as fruitful, and the 34-year-old regressed considerably.

While Mozeliak and the Cardinals thought they were getting a top-of-the-rotation arm, Gray proved to be more of a modest option. The three-time All-Star headlined a slew of veteran starters St. Louis added, including Lance Lynn and Kyle Gibson. However, things didn't go as planned -- arguably one of the more notable factors for them not qualifying for the postseason.

After a solid start to 2024, Gray's performance tailed off. His pre- and post-June splits are eye-opening. Perhaps the wear and tear took a toll on him, or his health factored into his struggles. Nonetheless, it's a concerning trend for the Cardinals, considering they invested significantly in the hurler.