Breaking: Cardinals’ Latest Roster Move Makes Jordan Hicks Trade Look Like Even More of a Disaster
In a move that is sure to spark even more scrutiny and disappointment among St. Louis Cardinals fans, the team’s latest roster decision has further magnified the failed trade of former closer Jordan Hicks. This development, which unfolds against a backdrop of underwhelming performance and missed opportunities, only deepens the growing sense that the Cardinals’ front office is scrambling to find solutions to a series of critical missteps.
In case you missed it, the Cardinals made a high-profile trade earlier this season, sending the hard-throwing Hicks to the Toronto Blue Jays in exchange for a package of prospects. At the time, the trade was viewed with mixed reactions. Hicks, once viewed as the potential future closer for the Cardinals, had shown flashes of dominance with his electric fastball, but inconsistent control and injury concerns led to his departure. The organization decided to cash in on his value, hoping to shore up its future by adding young talent to a struggling farm system.
However, as the season progresses, it’s becoming abundantly clear that the decision to trade Hicks is one of the key reasons for the team’s lack of success in 2024. While Hicks has found a new lease on life with the Blue Jays, turning in an impressive string of performances, the Cardinals’ bullpen has been a glaring weakness throughout the year. This is underscored by their latest roster move: the signing of yet another middle reliever with little track record of success at the major league level.
The contrast is hard to ignore. Jordan Hicks, now thriving in a high-leverage role with the Blue Jays, has showcased exactly the kind of stuff that the Cardinals once thought they could develop into a lockdown closer. His 100+ mph fastball, paired with a devastating slider, has been a weapon in critical moments for Toronto, earning him not only a spot in their bullpen but also significant postseason potential. Meanwhile, the Cardinals are left floundering with a bullpen that has failed to produce at the same level, all while the team’s young pitching prospects continue to struggle with consistency.
Adding insult to injury, the players the Cardinals received in return for Hicks—while still young and potentially promising—have failed to make a meaningful impact on the major league roster. This glaring disconnect has led many fans and analysts to question whether the trade was a premature decision driven by an organizational need to shake up the roster rather than a strategic move that would help the team in the long run.
The Cardinals’ bullpen struggles have been well-documented this season. Their inability to close games and hold onto leads has been one of the team’s most consistent issues, with several games slipping away late due to ineffective relief pitching. A dominant closer like Hicks could have been the difference-maker in these situations, giving the Cardinals a much-needed anchor in late innings. Instead, the front office’s short-sighted decision to part ways with Hicks in exchange for unproven talent has only compounded the team’s woes.
At this point, the damage is done. The Cardinals have few options to right the ship in 2024, and the prospect of dealing with the fallout from this trade for seasons to come looms large. Whether or not the trade of Jordan Hicks proves to be one of the most regrettable decisions in recent franchise history remains to be seen, but one thing is clear: with each passing day, it looks more and more like a catastrophic misstep by the front office.
