5 Cardinals who must improve this off-season

Paul DeJong must have a productive offseason

It seems obvious Mozeliak is reluctant to give up on DeJong. The one-time All-Star shortstop is in the final year of his six-year, $26 million contract. The contract does have a couple of options remaining on the deal. He does appear to be going into this offseason playing for his future with the Cardinals.

There is some hope for DeJong, though. When he was demoted to Memphis during the 2022 season, he finally found his swing again, thanks to working with Allen. DeJong receiving clear instruction throughout an entire season could be good for him and the Cardinals. Since Mozeliak will give DeJong all the chances in the world, I hope his gamble pays off.

Nolan Gorman must find consistency at the plate

Nolan Gorman had massive success at the start of his 2022 season at Memphis. He left the Cardinals no choice but to promote him. And it was a good choice… until suddenly it was not.

Opposing pitchers caught on to Gorman quickly, and he couldn’t adjust. This is one of those cases where he should have gotten proper instruction from his hitting coach to change. And while I’m sure he did, something was not clicking for Gorman as he struggled mightily, even getting demoted back to Memphis in the last month of the season. While he did appear in a postseason game, it was clear he had gotten some tips on adjusting. This must continue through the offseason and into Spring Training. Getting some tips and tricks from Holliday and Ward while working with Allen again should benefit the youngster.

If an obvious adjustment doesn’t happen for DeJong or Gorman, look for some changes to be made.