The club’s longtime farm director calls it quits.
On Friday afternoon, the Cardinals announced that Gary LaRocque, currently serving as an Assistant General Manager and the Director of Player Development for the organization, will be retiring from his duties at the end of the 2024 season. LaRocque will remain in an advisory role with the organization through 2025.
LaRocque has a long history with the Cardinals. He’s served as Director of Player Development or in a comparable role for the past 12 seasons.
Gary LaRocque, Assistant General Manager/Director of Player Development, will retire at the conclusion of the 2024 season. He will remain with the organization in 2025 in an advisory role.
LaRocque, who joined the Cardinals organization in 2008 as part of a 49-year career in… pic.twitter.com/4hqcllkkaD
— St. Louis Cardinals (@Cardinals) September 6, 2024
There was some speculation online about whether or not LaRocque’s retirement was encouraged by the Cardinals’ brass. So far, I haven’t seen reports that indicate this is the case. Speculation in that regard seems irresponsible.
We do know that player development has become an area of concern for the Cardinals over the past several years. The club likes to think of itself as a draft and develop team. They build from the inside out, relying on free agents or trades only when the farm system can’t supply the kind of talent they need to remain competitive.
As team payroll has become increasingly static, the lack of quality player development, particularly on the pitching side, has forced the team to rely increasingly on free agents. Likewise, talents considered vital to the future success of the organization have not reached their hoped-for ceilings.
While LaRocque has a long history of successful player development, MLB remains a “what have you done for me lately” kind of league. The Cardinals have to improve their development process and find more successes than failures if they are to return to contention on an annual basis.
Whether LaRocque made this decision independently or was influenced by the organization, the timing is probably right.
Could his exit be the first of more significant changes to come in the front office?
John Mozeliak is under contract for one more season and it’s widely expected that will be his last with the organization in the role of President of Baseball Operations.
Oliver Marmol received a short contract extension heading into this season to ease any public narrative that his job was on the line.
General Manager Michael Girsch’s contract runs through the 2025 season. I believe that Scouting Director Randy Flores’ contract is the same, though I was not able to confirm that through Google searches.
The Cardinals have obviously positioned themselves to allow whoever takes over the POBO position following Mozeliak’s planned exit to bring in their own core personnel. What was not planned for, however, was two consecutive years outside of the playoffs, a troublesome decline in fan attendance, significant roster challenges, and the imminent loss of the team’s cable TV contract.
The Cardinals face a critical crossroads this offseason.
LaRocque’s retirement is the first domino to fall. Either by their choice or by someone else’s. What else will happen? What else should happen?
You can talk about that or more in the comments below.
Happy Saturday, Viva El Birdos.