Cardinals announcer misplaces area of need for future Cardinals teams

The St. Louis Cardinals inspired newfound playoff beliefs after winning consecutive series against the Cubs and Dodgers, but blew a chance to keep that momentum going after losing two out of three games to the Rockies. There have been plenty of questions about what the team needs to stop these constant heartbreaks from coming, but the answers are few and far between.

Chip Caray believes the Cardinals need to bring in veteran leadership to help the transition period

One answer, though, was offered up by announcer FanDuel Sports Midwest Cardinals play-by-play announcer Chip Caray. In a recent interview with STL Sports Central, Caray states that the veteran leadership is lacking in the clubhouse, contributing to the struggles of the young guys. Halfway through the clip, the announcer referenced outfielder Nick Markakis and applauded the role he played for the Braves from 2015 until the end of his career in 2020. Caray said that Markakis was a lead-by-example, but also a tone-setting presence who helped guys like Dansby Swanson and Freddie Freeman make their mark at the MLB level, and believes that is something the current Cardinal team is missing.

Caray noted that the leadership role is something that Nolan Arenado was brought in to do, and when paired with Paul Goldschmidt, the duo theoretically created the perfect "lead by example" profile for the Redbirds. However, both guys are noted as not being extremely outgoing in the clubhouse and would go about their business rather than taking players under their wings and being mentors. No fault of their own for their personalities, but Arenado realized this is something that was lacking, so he urged Cardinal ownership to bring more veterans into the clubhouse to be the firestarter. That request was met with the signing of Brandon Crawford and Matt Carpenter, close friends of Arenado's who were supposed to be the tough-loving vets for the up-and-coming players. As we see now, that strategy did not work despite Arenado's urging.

The current Cardinal team still has Arenado's fiery personality around, which has been on display at times, but his struggles made it hard for him to be a leader as he put up his worst season since his rookie year while also being on the injured list for who knows how long. Along with the third baseman, Willson Contreras has been an incredible addition to St. Louis, even if he is not doing so as a catcher. His personality and desire to remain in Cardinal red should be the type of person the young clubhouse needs. Along with his energy, Contreras plays the game hard, sticks up for his teammates, speaks his mind, and has been one of their best offensive performers this season. He sets an example for guys like Masyn Winn and Victor Scott II, two energetic youngsters, who could someday soon become the face of the team. The setup of the 2025 Cardinals team has an interesting blend of veterans, including Brendan Donovan, who are supposed to be the ones that lead the way for the prospects and ease their transition into the bigs. If these current guys cannot do it, then what makes Caray think that another aging outsider is going to be the one to change the culture?

I am in the belief that the current Cardinals roster has the foundation to build around with more pieces. While leadership is definitely needed to help the maturing process of these players, doing so with an out-of-prime player (who will have to take an active roster spot) seems like a waste of time, energy, and resources. I believe that the guys who are in the clubhouse now can mature into those roles.