Every year, or at least every year since 2012, we’ve taken some time after the season was over to look at the past 162 games through the lens of the players that played them (and the management that was in charge of them). Last year, the Exit Interview series spent less time digging into splits and finding numerical oddities and more time reflecting on the player and their season. It was a style that seemed to work so we’re going to bring it back again this year. The legendary cardinalsgifs is back to bring us excellent series art, so it’s all downhill after you see that!
Player: Drew Rom
Poor Drew Rom. He was able to make his debut in 2023 after the Cardinals acquired him from the Orioles. It didn’t necessarily go well, what with an 8 ERA, but at least it got him major league time and you have to figure that he was planning to go home for the winter, make some adjustments, and come into camp with the idea that he could at least be a sixth man in the rotation option, the first guy called up from Memphis, that sort of thing.
Instead, he gets to Jupiter and winds up with biceps tendinitis, which eventually led to him having surgery on his throwing shoulder. Obviously, he never got a chance to pitch in 2024 and his 2025 is somewhat up in the air. It was surely a deflating followup to his debut season.
What’s in store for 2025: While there have been no injury updates of late, you wouldn’t be surprised if Rom was not quite ready to go as spring starts. He should be on the mound soon enough, though. When he is ready for regular duty, he’ll likely have a long stretch at Memphis before he gets another shot at the big leagues. The fact that he was DFAd off the roster guarantees that. He’ll probably get at least one trip to St. Louis out of the year, though having to be re-added to the 40-man does make it harder for that to happen.
