St Louis Cardinals: John Mozeliak hints at moves to come

The St Louis Cardinals are spiraling but president of baseball operations John Mozeliak did not parse words about whether or not he is going to help.

John Mozeliak does not usually put out smokescreens, so when the St. Louis Cardinals president of baseball operations opened up Sunday about the state of his current team, it’s best to pay attention.

“Maybe we can shake things up a little bit,” Mozeliak said on KMOX Sports. “We’re trying to look at all different types of alternatives if possible, but clearly what we’re seeing right now, it’s hard to win games.”

The “shake things up” comment has drawn a lot of attention and begs the question: What exactly does Mozeliak mean and when/where should those changes come?

It’s unlikely that the Cardinals would move on from manager Mike Shildt during the season. A move of that magnitude would probably come during the offseason, when the organization could do a thorough search for a new manager, but that we’re even considering that possibility underscores the pressure that is on Shildt and Mozeliak to turn this season around.

The most likely option, however, is upgrading the current roster across the board. The rotation is injured throughout and the current healthy starters, John Gant and Carlos Martinez, have been inconsistent, though Adam Wainwright has been his usual steady self. But the unit could use a boost, perhaps a significant one, and figure to be in on starters such as Max Scherzer and Jon Gray at the deadline.

An underrated need for the Cardinals is offense, with the unit ranking 16th in MLB with a .387 slugging percentage and in the bottom half of the league in most offensive categories. Among the needs include shortstop and outfield depth, with shortstop being the most pressing of the two as Paul DeJong continues to struggle.

There are many ways for the Cardinals to go about shaking things up. But if they don’t make a move(s) soon, Shildt and Mozeliak’s spots on the hot seat could grow even warmer.