John Mozeliak gives an update on the St. Louis Cardinals off-season plans

MLB Insider Ken Rosenthal has some brand new quotes from John Mozeliak

The MLB Winter Meetings are beginning on Sunday, December 4th, and the St. Louis Cardinals will be among the teams looking to be active in both free agent and trade conversations as they look to improve their 2023 roster. Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic provided an update on what President of Baseball Operations John Mozeliak is looking to do.

In his piece on The Athletic, Rosenthal relayed some comments Mozeliak made on November 30th.

Cardinals GM John Mozeliak, in a telephone conversation Tuesday, made it clear the team’s No. 1 priority is acquiring an everyday catcher. Asked about the possibility of adding a shortstop, Mozeliak said, “Tommy Edman is a very, very good shortstop.”Mozeliak allowed that a change in the marketplace could prompt him to adjust at short, but it’s doubtful he could strike a bargain in free agency or in a trade. As for the outfield, Mozeliak said the Cardinals have numerous options, describing top prospect Jordan Walker “as the biggest wild card.” He did not rule out a veteran addition, but such a player likely would be a backup behind Tyler O’Neill, Dylan Carlson and Lars Nootbaar.

The first bit of information is not surprising, as Mozeliak has been adamant all off-season that they will go out and acquire a new starting catcher. Whether that is through trade or free agency remains to be seen. We recently speculated on some trade proposals on the site.

When it comes to the shortstop position though, there is still a bit on intrigue there that is worth noting. Sure, Mozeliak has said Tommy Edman is their starting shortstop, but he continues to not rule out a scenario where they go after one of the big name shortstops. Don’t forget the famous “As of right now, Matt Carpenter is our starting third baseman” quote, and then turning around and acquiring Nolan Arenado.

As we have noted though, a move for a shortstop likely means the market broke their way a bit, rather than then going out and outbidding other clubs. This makes the likes of Xander Bogaerts and Dansby Swanson potential candidates, as it is very unlikely Trea Turner or Carlos Correa do not get their mega deals they are looking for.

There has been speculation about the Cardinals adding another outfielder to the mix, but Mozeliak seemed a bit more cold on that idea, opting rather for the potential of Jordan Walker, Tyler O’Neill, Dylan Carlson, and Lars Nootbaar as their starting options at the moment. A veteran outfielder in the Corey Dickerson mold though does appear to be in play. I speculated how Ben Gamel could be an interesting fit for St. Louis if they are looking for a back up, veteran outfielder.

As we head into the Winter Meetings and the hot stove heats up, keep up to date on all Cardinals moves on our Cardinals Off-Season Tracker.