The St. Louis Cardinals are in the midst of rebuilding around their young core—a reality well understood by their passionate and knowledgeable fanbase. While fans are eager for a return to winning ways, they also recognize that the 2024 core, led by Nolan Arenado and Paul Goldschmidt, wasn’t built for long-term success. Moving on from one or both of those players was a necessary step in the team’s transition.
That said, pitcher development remains a significant concern for the Cardinals. The organization has struggled to produce a homegrown ace, a shortcoming that spurred a winter overhaul of their farm system. While Adam Wainwright emerged as a success story decades ago, recent top pitching prospects, such as Jack Flaherty, have found more success elsewhere. Without the emergence of an internal ace or All-Star caliber arm, the Cardinals are left dipping into an already limited payroll to address their pitching needs.
St. Louis Cardinals never really had a chance with Roki Sasaki
Fortunately for the Cardinals, this offseason presented a rare opportunity with 23-year-old Japanese phenom Roki Sasaki. Due to his amateur status, Sasaki could only be signed using international bonus pool money, avoiding the massive contracts typical of established Japanese stars like Yoshinobu Yamamoto. Unsurprisingly, Sasaki attracted widespread interest. According to his agent, Joel Wolfe, Sasaki’s decision-making process differs from that of other Japanese players Wolfe has represented.
“He doesn’t seem to look at it in the typical way that other players do,” Wolfe explained. “He has a more long-term, global view of things. Roki is very interested in pitching development and how a team will help him improve, both immediately and over the course of his career. He didn’t express concern about whether a team had Japanese players, which has sometimes been a factor for others. That was never part of the discussion.”
Unfortunately for St. Louis, they don’t meet Sasaki’s criteria, particularly with his emphasis on pitching development and organizational support. With Chaim Bloom set to replace John Mozeliak next winter, the Cardinals’ farm system must prove it can deliver results. Historically, pitcher development hasn’t been a strong suit for the team.
In the end, St. Louis was never a serious contender for Sasaki, especially compared to his reported five finalists—the Yankees, Mets, Dodgers, Padres, and Rangers, according to Ken Rosenthal. As an organization, the Cardinals face significant challenges in keeping pace with these more competitive franchises.
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