St. Louis Cardinals: Your move, Mozeliak and Girsch

As the baseball world digests the stunning trade from this morning, I’m left wondering how much pressure is now on the St. Louis Cardinals’ front office.

The Chicago Cubs and Chicago White Sox greeted the baseball world Thursday morning with a nice little blockbuster trade. While the need for a starting pitcher was obvious for the Cubs, dealing with their cross-town rivals probably caught many off-guard. Back in St. Louis, however, many fans are wondering when the St. Louis Cardinals will make a move of this magnitude.

Dr. Michael Miles covered the deal in his article, so I won’t get too far into the details. I’d be remiss, though, if I didn’t say I am a little disappointed the Cardinals didn’t go after Jose Quintana. I wrote about upgrading the starting rotation several weeks ago. Quintana was on my short list, but I knew it was a stretch for the deal to get done.

As much as I still believe the rotation could use some help, the focus of the St. Louis Cardinals is elsewhere. While the search for a bat is on going, there is still one problem: When will John Mozeliak and Mike Girsch make a move?

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Thursday’s block buster deal certainly has put Mozeliak and Girsch on high alert, as if they already weren’t. Earlier today, I discussed the St. Louis Cardinals waiting till the end of the deadline to make a move. I believe waiting wastes the Cardinals opportunities. However, now that the first block buster deal has happened, I believe the time frame of the Cardinals’ own move must shift up.

Now is the time to be aggressive in the trade market for a couple of reasons.

The first reason is all about the division race. As I have said many times before, the St. Louis Cardinals still have a shot at this division. The lead is only 5.5 games with half a season left to go. Why be aggressive if the Brewers haven’t made a move yet?

The team you are currently tied with isn’t holding back on their chances at the race. Now that the Cubs have made their power move, the Cardinals need to respond immediately. The Cubs, with a bolstered rotation, have put themselves in a good spot to win games right out of the gate to start the second half.

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The longer the Cardinals wait to make a move on a player, the more likely they fall back into third place. Now, of course, that is just me guessing at what would happen, but let’s be honest.

However, anyone who thinks the Cardinals will be able to compete without making a move is just fooling themselves.

An immediate move intensifies the race and keeps every team on an even keel. However, as I have also mentioned before, the problem the Cardinals face is which player provides the immediate push back I’m talking about.

The second reason an immediate response is needed is for the fans. I think there is a growing segment of Cardinal Nation fed up with the team’s lack of inactivity over the last couple of seasons at the deadline. I’m not talking about the fringe players to shore up a bullpen. I’m talking about big time power moves such as the Quintana trade.

I can’t imagine what it will be like if the Cardinals miss two post-seasons in a row. Without a move this summer, I feel as if the Cardinals will head towards that endgame. The response from fans will be an overwhelming “boo,” and the front office will surely bear the brunt.

Sadly, I’m sure the response from front office is more than likely going to be about patience in the trade market, but I don’t think there is any time for that. If the team has the opportunity to add an impact player for years to come, now is the time to do it.

To be frank, I would rather the front office try to win now and ultimately fail, than not try at all. Your move, Mo and Girsch.

Next: Redbird Rants Summit

I’m not saying the move has to happen today, but if the Cardinals do not make a move in the next week, then it could get ugly out here in St. Louis. Hopefully, the trade today lights a fire in Mo and Girsch’s stomach. Side note: Check out the Redbird Rants Summit piece for great content from all our writers!