John Mozeliak's reluctance to make roster moves is harming the St. Louis Cardinals

There have been numerous occasions this year when the St. Louis Cardinals and manager Oliver Marmol have been left with a short bench in key moments. In early July, third baseman Nolan Arenado played on July 4th, July 9th, July 10th, and July 11th before missing a week and playing again on July 18th.

Arenado was eventually placed on the Injured List on August 1st due to a shoulder strain. Throughout the first half of July, the Cardinals played down a man on the bench due to Arenado's pain and the front office's unwillingness to make a roster move. Arenado would hit .175 with a .440 OPS due to lingering pain.

The same situation is playing out right now in front of our eyes.

Both Brendan Donovan and Willson Contreras are experiencing pain. Both players are experiencing foot injuries, and neither has played in the past two games against the New York Yankees. Donovan also missed two games against the Chicago Cubs last week and made only one appearance in the first game of the series against the Colorado Rockies. Contreras has been out the past three games.

Instead of placing either or both players on the IL to make room for replacements, president of baseball operations, John Mozeliak, has opted to give manager Oli Marmol a short bench. Those two bench players have been catcher Yohel Pozo and utility man Garrett Hampson.

John Mozeliak's unwillingness to make roster moves has handcuffed manager Oli Marmol.

The malaise of John Mozeliak in his lame duck season is becoming all the more evident.

Mozeliak's unwillingness to make a roster move hinges on fears of cutting players from the 40-man roster. Garrett Hampson, Matt Koperniak, and Jose Fermin could all be cut from the roster for more talented players like JJ Wetherholt or Jimmy Crooks.

If top prospects aren't your cup of tea, Nathan Church, who has a .921 OPS with Memphis, can capably play all outfield spots.

This willingness to play shorthanded could also be a result of poor organizational depth. The three prospects listed above, Wetherholt, Crooks, and Church, are really the only viable minor leaguers who could be called up.

It seems to be that having no options is preferable to the front office than calling up minor league players to fill the gaps of the ailing Brendan Donovan and Willson Contreras.

Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch described this short bench and its effects quite well. "The Cardinals (61-62) have reached the back stretch of the regular season orbiting .500 and just outside the atmosphere of the wild-card race. Their lineup is fragmented.

"Against a Yankees club that had former MVP Paul Goldschmidt available off the bench, former MVP Giancarlo Stanton on the bench, and reigning MVP Aaron Judge batting beside former MVP Cody Bellinger in the lineup, the Cardinals did not have a former All-Star as a starter."

The St. Louis Cardinals have been outmatched and outmanned all week. Instead of giving Oli Marmol reinforcements and a fighting chance, John Mozeliak has opted to sit on his hands and ride out the year without causing too much of a wave in the organization.

If he wants to go out on a high note and give his team a chance at winning, he needs to make roster moves to build the best possible lineup. Playing injured, or in this case not playing at all, players isn't ideal. It's time Mozeliak bucks up and gives his manager a viable and complete roster.