After spending a Sunday out in the Dominican Republic, Taveras crashed his 2014 Chevrolet Camaro into a tree. His girlfriend, Edilia Arvelo, also lost her life in the accident, which occurred on slick roads and with Taveras behind the wheel with a blood alcohol content near five times the legal limit.
Taveras, whose arrival in the Majors had been so widely anticipated just a few months earlier, became the third Cardinals player in 13 years to die suddenly. He has now been gone for a year.
"When you reflect back on the loss of Oscar and how that impacted our organization, you realize baseball takes a back seat to understanding the grieving process for family, friends, and teammates," Mozeliak said.