Ex-Cardinals Homegrown Talent DFA'd Following Beatdown From Former Team

The former St. Louis hurler is struggling since leaving

Sep 18, 2024; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Jake Woodford (46) pitches against the St. Louis Cardinals during the first inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images / Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

It's never easy watching former St. Louis Cardinals players thrive elsewhere, knowing that the organization could've retained the talent but neglected to.

Under Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak's tenure, plenty of talented players have been traded and passed over for re-signing.

Fortunately, this story isn't about one of those instances. Instead, a former Cardinals hurler is struggling since leaving St. Louis and will soon be looking for another job.

"We have selected the contract of right-handed pitcher Isaac Mattson to the Major League roster and RHP Jake Woodford has been designated for assignment," the Pittsburgh Pirates announced Thursday evening.

Woodford returned to Busch Stadium on Wednesday for the first time since the Cardinals neglected to re-sign him this past offseason. In his first start against the team that drafted him, St. Louis' lineup lit him up for four earned runs on eight hits including one home run, zero walks and five strikeouts in only 4 2/3 innings pitched for Pittsburgh.

Sadly, Woodford's journey since leaving the Cardinals hasn't been the best. In 2024, he was designated for assignment twice, one of which was by the worst team in baseball, the Chicago White Sox.

The 27-year-old has posted an 0-6 record with a 7.97 ERA, 26-to-9 strikeout-to-walk ratio, .314 batting average against and a 1.63 WHIP in 35 innings pitched between his time with the White Sox and Pirates this season.

Will Woodford find a third different team to land with this year before the season's over?

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