St. Louis Cardinals: Mo’s trade comments should raise concerns

St. Louis Cardinals President of Baseball Operations John Mozeliak recently made comments that he “traded to trade”, and that “there is a lot of pressure to do something when you are .500”

Man…where to begin with this…These comments from John Mozeliak could be more veiled than it looks on the surface. If the subtleties of the comments are in fact purposeful and pertinent, this might be the most egregious error that Mozeliak has ever committed with the St. Louis Cardinals.

I get that may sound dumb, but whether or not you interpret the comments as Mo simply admitting he caved in when the pressure to make a move to win was there or as a jab at the fans for demanding excellence from their team, it’s a really bad look.

Look, just admit it, ok? Admit you made a mistake. Admit things just didn’t work out the way you thought. It’s far better for your image and the respect you garner from fans than to make comments that can be interpreted as blaming them for your own mistakes.

And even if he isn’t, attributing it to “the pressure to win” is, quite frankly, a load of bull. It is literally your job to construct a roster capable of winning in the majors, and it is one you have had for over 10 years. On top of that, you are getting paid quite a pretty penny to do so, and that comes with much stricter expectations for success.

So to turn around and say that you couldn’t handle the pressure or that fans were so persistent that they ‘made’ you make the trade is ridiculous.

You have been the face of this team through good years and bad, made great trade decisions and poor ones, and have had your fair share of everything the world of baseball GMs has to offer.

So you can’t blame me when I say that I think you cracking under the pressure to trade for someone is not only facetious, but disrespectful to St. Louis Cardinals fans who put their heart, soul, sweat, tears, and hard earned wages into supporting this team.

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The St. Louis Cardinals need to be better, and the players certainly have a hand in their own struggles. But John Mozeliak needs to be better. You know it, I know it, and St. Louis Cardinals fans all around the world know it.

So to even imply that it was the fault of pressure or of the fans is disrespectful to the highest degree. As far as I am concerned, it just sounds like a bunch of bad excuses.

I am not one of those people who thinks forcing Mozeliak out is the right move at this point. But if this pattern of bad management and a lack of ownership of the mistakes that have been made continues, it might be time for one of the longest GM tenures to come to a close. While he has made some terrible moves that I am not happy with as a St. Louis Cardinals fan, this feels like the true first step on Mozeliak’s path out of his role with the St. Louis Cardinals.

John Mozeliak has certainly had his moments of glory with the St. Louis Cardinals, but we have to accept that all good things come to an end. Whether it is sooner or later, that fact will never change. It’s now on the DeWitts to make to choice, and to have the will to do what is needed to help this team win, whether it be retaining Mo through public pressure or dumping him outright.