Inside The Cardinals

Why Ex-Cardinals All-Star Signed With AL East Contender Instead Of St. Louis

The former St. Louis veteran is moving on with his career
Nate Hagerty|
Apr 16, 2023; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; A general view of the St. Louis Cardinals scoreboard as a plane passes by during the seventh inning of a game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images
Apr 16, 2023; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; A general view of the St. Louis Cardinals scoreboard as a plane passes by during the seventh inning of a game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

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St. Louis CardinalsBaltimore Orioles

The St. Louis Cardinals are having a quiet offseason after declaring an organizational reset shortly after the 2024 season ended.

For far too long, the Cardinals have neglected their player development system and now they're left with a youth core filled with former top prospects who are far behind where they're supposed to be in their careers.

It could be a while before the Cardinals are a perennial contender again. For aging veterans, it's tough to want to play in St. Louis while the franchise is so far behind. Perhaps if the 11-time World Series champions never lost their competitive edge, a former Cardinals All-Star would've been re-signed this offseason.

"I did talk to Gibby (Kyle Gibson)," right-handed pitcher Andrew Kittredge stated in an interview with MLB Film Room on Tuesday about his decision to sign with the Baltimore Orioles. "He reached out, congratulating me on the deal, had nothing but great things to say about the organization. I was excited to hear from someone who’s been here recently, to kind of know that the clubhouse is in a good spot and there’s a strong desire to win here. There’s an expectation to win here. A lot to be really excited about."

Kittredge posted a 5-5 record with a 2.80 ERA, 67-to-20 strikeout-to-walk ratio, .228 batting average against and a 1.13 WHIP in 70 2/3 innings pitched for the Cardinals in 2024.

"There was a lot to like, and then the young talent this organization has and the direction they’ve been going is really exciting," Kittredge continued. "At this point in my career, I want to win. I want to contend, and this was a really good opportunity for me to do that.”

Not only were the Cardinals unlikely to re-sign Kittredge this winter because of his expected salary increase but his desire to return to St. Louis seems absent, based on his comments regarding his decision to join the Orioles.

Simply put, the Cardinals don't have the most promising outlook for their immediate future. Granted, people from the inside will say otherwise but Kittredge wants nothing to do with a rebuilding team. He wants to win, and sadly, St. Louis isn't the place for that momentarily.

More MLB: Cardinals Should Make Bold Move For All-Star Hurler Shockingly Cut By NL East Rival

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Nate Hagerty
NATE HAGERTY

Nate Hagerty joined “Inside The Cardinals” as a content creator to spread knowledge about his favorite childhood team. A hometown native of Boston, Hagerty chose at an early age of six years old to follow the St. Louis Cardinals. The miraculous season of 04’ for the Red Sox did not deter Hagerty from rooting against his hometown team, nor did it in 2013 against the Red Birds. For all business/marketing inquiries regarding Inside The Cardinals, please reach out to Scott Neville: nevilles@merrimack.edu 

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