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: Ryan Loutos
Stats: 0-0, 3 G, 2.1 IP, 2 H, 1 BB, 0.00 ERA, 4.45 FIP, 1.286 WHIP, 0.1 bWAR
Statcast: 0.0% barrel, 11.1% sweet spot, 99.6 max exit velocity, .283 wOBA, .201 xwOBA, 0.0 K%, 10.0 BB%
Grade: C
Loutos was an interesting story. He had played college ball in St. Louis at Washington University but wasn’t drafted. He signed with the Cardinals as a free agent and worked his way up the minor leagues. The overall numbers weren’t always encouraging but there was enough there that he kept moving up. After making it all the way to Memphis, he suddenly got the call to St. Louis, getting brought up on May 20th when Chris Roycroft was demoted. The idea was that the bullpen needed a fresh arm and he was the best available.
Apparently that freshness wasn’t as necessary as the club led us to believe. Loutos didn’t get into his first game until June 1st, which meant he sat in the bullpen for nine games before finally getting into one. Loutos made one more appearance before being demoted on June 4 because Roycroft was eligible to return. He got a brief recall when Kyle Gibson went on the bereavement list (but didn’t pitch) and then got a call up around the trade deadline, only to go back down the next day when the trade acquisitions were added to the roster (though he did pitch an inning in a 10-1 loss). You’d say that Loutos was just a body and that would be literally true, it would appear. He’s not been used as a pitcher, just as someone to take a spot. Loutos was pretty good in Memphis and was actually a closer there, saving 18 of 20. The club seems very unwilling to see if that works in the bigs, though.
What’s in store for 2025: Given the usage, you’d be forgiven if you would expect the Cardinals to cut Loutos loose this winter, designating him for assignment to get him off the 40-man and then seeing if he would go back to Memphis. If they don’t, maybe the new approach to the major league team will let him get a little more time in the bigs to see if there’s anything there. I wouldn’t be surprised if things didn’t work out but he’s done enough to warrant a little more exposure.
