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: Erick Fedde
Stats (w/Cards): 2-5, 10 G, 55.2 IP, 49 H, 6 HR, 18 BB, 46 K, 3.72 ERA, 4.05 FIP, 1.204 WHIP, 0.9 bWAR
Statcast (overall): 7.6% barrel, 32.4% sweet spot, 116.5 max exit velocity, .293 wOBA, .308 xwOBA, 21.2 K%, 7.2 BB%
Grade: B
Fedde was the big fish at the trade deadline and it was remarkable that the club was able to get him for just Tommy Edman (the injured version, not the NLCS MVP version). He had come back from Korea with a different approach and some different results and was having a remarkable season for a miserable White Sox team. The Cards thought that adding him might help shore up the pitching issues they were having and help them make a push into October.
It didn’t work but it wasn’t really Fedde’s fault. He scuffled in his first St. Louis start and was up and down in August as the club fell out of contention, but he picked it up in September (2.38 ERA) including a 10 strikeout game against the Rockies to finish his year. That game really stood out because Fedde isn’t known for swing and miss stuff, more regularly relying on the defense. Which means he fits right in with the old Cardinals approach on pitching, of course, an approach that the front office was starting to get away from but beggars can’t be choosers and all that.
What’s in store for 2025: Fedde has a $7.5 million year left on his contract. Which means there’s a lot of different ways his winter could go. He could come in as the #2 (or, if there’s a Sonny Gray trade, even a #1) on this staff. With what the Cardinals have seen from pitchers coming from the Asian markets, where they have a good first year back then scuffle, that sets up as a risk. Alternatively, the smaller payroll number could make Fedde attractive on the trade market. I imagine it’s more likely than not he returns unless the new development model means that some of those AAA arms are pushed to the majors to get regular reps there.
