Cardinals: Stephen Piscotty is just one of many disappointments this season

The St. Louis Cardinals have been average this year – not good, but not terrible. Barring a miraculous comeback to claim a Wild Card spot, they won’t make the playoffs for the second straight season. What’s been the issue? Take Stephen Piscotty as an example.

The St. Louis Cardinals have had a carousel in the outfield for much of the season. One player returns just as another gets hurt, and when it becomes crowded, the worst performer earns a trip to Triple-A Memphis.

Randal Grichuk has been there. Now it’s Stephen Piscotty’s turn.

St. Louis optioned the left fielder Monday after activating Dexter Fowler from the disabled list. Piscotty boasts an unappealing .232 average with just six home runs on the year. Those numbers look even worse when considering the 26-year-old hit .273 with 22 bombs and 82 RBI a year ago.

The Cardinals don’t keep long leashes on their players. If someone isn’t performing, they don’t feel the need to keep them in the big leagues, no matter how much they are getting paid.

Piscotty, who signed a six-year, $33.5 million deal prior to this year, just happens to be underperforming, while other outfielders – Jose Martinez and Tommy Pham – are enjoying breakout seasons. As long as St. Louis contends for a Wild Card spot, it will continue to transition players up and down the farm system.

Piscotty is just one of the many disappointments the Cards have had this season.

Grichuk, who’s clobbered 54 dingers across the past three seasons, has struggled at the dish at times and only seems to hit for power when in St. Louis. Aledmys Diaz, an up-and-coming shortstop from last year, has spent most of his time in the minors this year.

More from Call to the Pen

• Philadelphia Phillies, ready for a stretch run, bomb St. Louis Cardinals
• Philadelphia Phillies: The 4 players on the franchise’s Mount Rushmore
• Boston Red Sox fans should be upset over Mookie Betts’ comment
• Analyzing the Boston Red Sox trade for Dave Henderson and Spike Owen
• 2023 MLB postseason likely to have a strange look without Yankees, Red Sox, Cardinals

Even the more seasoned veterans are having trouble matching their career averages. Matt Carpenter has kept his on-base percentage relatively high despite hitting for less power and a worse average. Dexter Fowler has hit for power but steals less and doesn’t get on base as often. So it’s not just the newcomers.

Every season, the Cardinals receive a group of fresh faces that take the city by storm. For the past two seasons, it’s been Pisoctty, Diaz and Grichuk.

Now a new corps of youngsters takes over.

Prior to 2017, Pham, Martinez, Kolten Wong and Paul De Jong were relatively no-named farm chips stuck in the lower levels of the system. Now they are the team’s headliners on any given night. If only Matt Adams stuck around.

Next year could be similar, as St. Louis’ players have been unpredictable. There could be an entire new roster – minus the veterans like Carpenter and Yadier Molina – based on who’s hot and who’s not (hitting).

Next: Angels' playoff hopes take hit with Shoemaker out

Needless to say, the whole team has been a disappointment this year. Piscotty is just one example for why that is. And looking ahead, it could be a repeating cycle – underperforming players leads to no playoff berths.