The Cardinals didn’t play on Saturday due to a rainout, and team president of baseball operations John Mozeliak admitted to Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that the unscheduled off-day had the benefit of providing “a timeout or break because right now we’re not playing great baseball.” A 5-13 slide over their last 18 games has dropped St. Louis to an even 35-35 record for the season, and the Cards sit in fourth place in the NL Central (3.5 games out of first) and 4.5 game in the NL wild card race.
With a minus-39 run differential, an argument could be made that the Cardinals are fortunate to even be a .500 team. The Cards haven’t really excelled in many areas this season, as the lineup, rotation, and bullpen have all had their share of struggles. These issues and several injuries have all caught up to the team during this 18-game stretch, with Mozeliak noting that “it’s multi-dimensional, right? The days you hit, you don’t pitch. The days you pitch, you don’t hit. Then some flawed defense. Where we are — the health question isn’t going away any time soon, unfortunately.”
In response to these problems, the St. Louis front office has been exploring trade possibilities, with starting pitching being a specific priority. Goold reports that the Rangers and Twins have been among the teams the Cardinals have been in contact with, though at this point in the season, it’s probably safe to assume that most contenders and would-be contenders have checked in with the teams (like Texas and Minnesota) who already look like clear deadline sellers.
Jose Berrios and Kyle Gibson are the most intriguing rotation possibilities that could be available for the Twins and Rangers, while impending free agents like Jordan Lyles and J.A. Happ are more readily available but not necessarily representing big upgrades on what St. Louis already has on hand. Twins righty Michael Pineda is having a good season and is another impending free agent, though he was placed on the injured list this week due to elbow inflammation.
Whatever trade the Cardinals may or may not make, “it’s not all in or we’re going to break up the organization. That’s not the pressure I feel,” Mozeliak stated. With well over a month remaining until the July 30 trade deadline, Mozeliak said that it is still a “little premature” that the Cardinals complete a major trade any time soon, and that the team isn’t planning to “take a real chunk out of our farm system” in order to swing a deal.
“If, at some point, we look for something outside the organization, we certainly will, but we’re not at a point where we’re only going to define ourselves by 2021,” Mozeliak said. “We’re not feeling that pressure if we don’t win this year that we’re all in trouble. We must understand that we can all do things better. We also understand what we thought we’re going to have — because of injuries — hasn’t yet worked out.”
While no executive would publicly admit to a win-or-bust mentality, there is some natural pressure on the Cardinals this season. Yadier Molina and Adam Wainwright both returned to the team last winter on one-year free agent deals, and both longtime St. Louis cornerstones are still playing at a high level. Beyond that, Nolan Arenado can also opt out of his contract after the season, and as unlikely as it may be that the third baseman could walk away from six years and $179MM, Arenado is certainly eager to win now.
Speculatively, if the Cards can’t start winning over the next few weeks, there would also be a case for the team to look ahead to 2022. St. Louis will have a lot of payroll space to work with, as Molina, Wainwright, Matt Carpenter, Andrew Miller, Kwang Hyun Kim, and the remainder of Dexter Fowler’s contract are all off the books, and Carlos Martinez’s $17MM club option isn’t likely to be exercised. It’s also possible that the Cardinals could both sell and buy at the same time, perhaps taking on a higher-salaried player controlled beyond 2021 with an eye towards fitting that player more comfortably into their lightened payroll come next season.
Berrios would be a great fit but have a feeling Twins would want too much for him
Yeah, it’s gonna take a package of high end prospects to make that happen. Twins won’t just take somebody’s marginal surplus for Berrios.
they will be fine
Keep your prospects. We will trade Gibson to another team.
Mozeliak sounds too comfortable in his job. You went out and traded all kinds of depth for guys like Ozuna, Goldschmidt and Arenado. Now the team has injuries and no depth. Who’s fault is that???? And now the win now team you have built can’t win now. That’s a problem. And yeah there should be a sense of urgency. There really should otherwise what’s going on?
This is and never has been a win now team.
Then what the heck is it? It’s not a “going all in” team sure. But it’s definitely a win now team.
There is nothing about this team that remotely suggests it’s a win now team. They need way to many pieces to be a real contender. A win now team is a team that is close but the window is about to close and is willing to blow up the farm to get there before next year, when the window does close.
If your team isn’t in “win now” mode isn’t it pretty ridiculous to trade for a veteran contract like Arenado’s in that situation?
Ummmm no. I’ll let you in on a little secret. There are years past 2021. This team is not built to win now in 2021. But with money coming off for 2022 they have a chance to become really good. Arenado will most assuredly, by all accounts, not opt out this season. That makes a good foundation for 2022.
Great, so your foundation for the future is an extremely high priced aging vet who is exiting his prime. Precisely why I call it ridiculous. Arenado is a win now piece, not a future asset. There’s a reason he won’t opt out: that contract is gonna be an albatross.
Yes, every team acquires all of their star players the same year they win the championship. They never acquire one and build on that the next year. It’s never been done.
I can see Alacantra and Gallen from the Ozuna deal but are you saying they’d be better off with Weaver and Gomber instead of Arenado and Goldschmidt right now?
The Goldschmidt deal was bad. They would be better off with the players AND the money we are paying him. And the Arenado deal isn’t the heist people make it out to be. He’s good now but he’s signed for 6 more years after this one.
The main clog in the Goldy is deal just went back on the DL and the main guy in the Arenado deal Gomber just blew out his elbow.
Ok fine. But they make a ton of money. That money could be spent in other places. A 1b with a 700 OPS for 26 million a year isn’t good. And that ignores the talent traded away.
No he’s saying they’d be better off with Alcantara, and Gallen, erase the two sub par years of shoulder impinge Marcel Ozuna they didn’t do there homework on before hand, erase the Dexter Folwer contract which blocked many of the organizational talents you had that didn’t get playing time, erase the Arozarena trade cause you don’t need pitching depth for 2023, and don’t for the LOVE OF GOD sell Adolis Garcia to the Texas Rangers for 30 PIECES OF SLIVER. I’m tired of watching scotch drinking arrogant John Mozeliak SCREW up this baseball team
Joel learn the game. Put on your big boy pants. It’s a 162 game season. There are ups and downs. You hope to be healthy and in contention at the end of the year. It’s the same every year. People like you aren’t happy unless you run away with it. Again Joel learn the game.
one thing i will say about goldy he may not be lighting things up with his bat but his d at 1st makes up for his coldness. also i’m not happy about the cards play as of late but there is a lot of bb to be played and every team goes though a rough patch just like the cards.
Randy Arozarena 2.3 WAR, Adolis Garcia 2.3 WAR, Tyler O’Neil 2.2 WAR, Dylan Carlson 1.3 WAR, Justin Williams -0.4 WAR, easy to see how, Cardinals traded away two players worth 4.6 WAR from there outfield and the top two most productive members they kept have been worth 3.5 combined not factoring in Justin Williams negative value. So instead of having a outfield 4 worth 8.1 WAR they have a outfield 4 worth 3.7 WAR, 5.8 WAR if you count 5 and consider all of Tommy Edman 2.1 WAR in right field, but that just isn’t true, most of that he has accrued during his time at second. That’s a difference of 4.4 WAR in the outfield, the Cardinals dont have a single player worth 4.4 WAR currently and that’s a massive amount of production that John Mozeliak blindly traded away because he’s not a great head of baseball operations and Bill Dewitt is fine with that which is why baseball will never be a profitable business for Mr Dewitt
Those numbers would have not been the same had they stayed in St. Louis. Jeff Albert would have seen to that.
Jeff Albert is doing a great job, what are you talking about? Cardinals just rank in the bottom 5 offensively, these guys are working there tails off though #whaddayawant?
i’m gonna say this about the randy trade before we call it a bust. first let’s see how libitore progresses because he was a guy tb didn’t really want to trade and secondly let’s not forget that guys like randy, voit, garcia and ect. weren’t exactly lighting it up before they were traded. tbh mo has frustrated me at times and as cards fans we have been spoiled with a lot of recent success. let’s not forget as frustrating mo and dewitt can be they have kept the team winnable and watchable for the last 20 years. also when you win as much as the cards do you don’t get great picks in the draft it really starts to take a toll on you and it becomes hard to build a continuous winner. teams with the pedigree like the cards and will never be able to sell a full rebuild are going to have down years it’s just our down year’s are competitive bb with a shot of oct. tbh i’ll take that than 3~6 of top of the league and 10 years of unwatchable bb
It’s not a slump, it’s their regression to the mean
mo is not part of the cardinal way and whatever he does will fail
I’m just here to read the idiots cry to get rid of Mozeliak because he sometimes wears a bow tie and offends their masculinity.
It’s clear STL arguably needs at least 1 SP (2 if you’re talking about getting a JA Happ type), and at least 2 QUALITY relievers to remain competitive. In terms of position players, they’re fine, but the pitching is quite a mess right now.
The Yankees should be sellers this deadline. They have had too many injuries with some players not returning as hoped. They would be smart to retool and go for it next year. Kluber should be back and healthy by the deadline. He would be a relatively cheap pickup and if he continues to pitch like he was he could easily be a difference maker. Maybe take someone like Taillon too. Cards have a solid track record of turning around starters with potential. If the Cards pony up a decent prospect they can probably pry Britton away and any other reliever they like to fix their bullpen. Yanks could be a one stop shop for the Cards to fill their needs for a deep playoff run. Plus Cashman owes them a big one for Voit. Chasen Shreve was the return for him, I think. Ouch. To think the Cards could have all of that Goldy money and kept those prospects while getting similar production for rookie pay. Mo was probably still butt hurt from Stanton saying no to the Cards.
Glad Stanton said no. Fool
Gallegos came in the Voit trade and considering Voit’s injuries each team got something out of the deal. Speaking of Voit, it may be his production in the next 6 weeks that determine the strategy for the rest of the season. If the offense can get above average I expect them to trade for SP and IF depth, nothing earth shattering. If they are under .500 around the deadline I expect maybe Chapman, possibly Sanchez if he stays productive, too be moved.
There’s really no one to trade except DeJong , and to many SS are ready to hit the market this year.There screwed!
Fun fact. The best player on the team Tyler ONeill was sitting on the bench for all 3 playoff games last year. That’s the kind of world class talent evaluator Mozeliak is.
Cardinals need an impact bat in RF probably more than they need starting pitching. Cardinals Right Fielders have hit .204 with 2 HRs this season. O’Neill is solid in LF and Carlson in CF but RF is glaring offensive hole.
What would they be willing to give up for a Gibson/Gallo package deal?
If I’m Texas i ask for Gorman. Without the DH coming to the NL next year he has no path to the Majors unless the Cardinals consider moving him to the OF. Realistically probably quantity over quality. Daniels would probably take four lotto tickets for both and call it a win
A Gorman, Walker, and Hence package would be intriguing. As would a Liberatore, Walker, Torres package.
Neither will happen
Puig? Cespedes? Logan Morrison for RF? There could been worse choices for that hole.
why limit an impact bat to right field? they need someone that can hit, period. too much is made of corner impact bats. just give me a hitter for average and low strikeouts
O’Neill and Carlson can play all three OF spots so i guess they could look for an impact bat for any of the three spots. Beyond that the only other position in their lineup that is fluid is 2B and there are not many impact bats to be found there
Stand your ground. Way to early to do anything. Lot of ball to play in July.
That -32 run differential is a big red flag, as is their 13-24 record against teams at .500 or better.
The Cardinals don’t seem like they’re close to contenders this year and the cost in prospects to try and make up that level of ground for an outside chance in a tough division sounds foolish to me, especially considering the Cardinals don’t have a very strong MiLB system right now.
The Cardinals tread water every year and do nothing before the trade deadline. Then in the off-season they try to go all in with guys like arenado and goldschmidt without addressing any of their needs. One or two players cannot carry a team, just ask the Angels.
ask tiki barber
Even if they went out and got Scherzer and say an Anibal Sanchez (who apparently fell off the face of the earth in late April), they’d still need to make some significant additions to the bullpen. At least their screaming needs are confined to the pitching staff, but it will take a significant prospect capital to cover those.
They better be extending Yadi and Waino right Now! One more year! Spend wisely after they fire the hitting coach and hitting coach.
Mo just blowing smoke again. Blah blah blah
Johnny Mo hasn’t won without Tony R.
Tony knows you can not win without PITCHING PITCHING PITCHING. As the White Sox new manager one of the first moves was to bring in Lsnce Lynn an 4 other pitchers for support rolls.
Jonny Mo has tried to force Carlos Martinez for years as the ACE then the #2. A
BUST as the # 7 starter.
PITCHING PITCHING PITCHING just ask Tony R.
Johnny Mo hasn’t won without Tony R.
Tony knows you can not win without PITCHING PITCHING PITCHING. As the White Sox new manager one of the first moves was to bring in Lsnce Lynn an 4 other pitchers for support rolls.
Jonny Mo has tried to force Carlos Martinez for years as the ACE then the #2. A
BUST as the # 7
Mo has put together a pitching staff that has a,
1 potential # 1
1 # 4 and six # 6 starters.
Explain how we match up picture for pitcher against the Dodgers, San Diego, Giants,
Brewer’s, Washington, Atlanta, Philadelphia, or the top 15 teams in the AL?
Mo has put together a pitching staff that has a,
1 potential # 1
1 # 4 and six # 6 starters.
Explain how we match up pictures against the Dodgers, San Diego, Giants,
Brewer’s, Washington, Atlanta, Philadelphia, or the top 15 teams in the AL?
Sign of Arrogance , one who absolutely fails at making the right managerial decisions, and as his decisions repeatedly prove he stinks at his job , he refuses to fire Management because that’d be a sign he is repeating the same mistakes.
When Larussa left , his Matheny experiment was a bust by the 2nd season .
How many seasons did Matheny manage his defecto manifesto before Mo finally faced up to his own mistakes?
How many yrs to we have to watch this experiment stink before he blindly starts another nutty professor type experiment ?