3 Cardinals offseason moves that already look bad

Though not the most popular amongst fans, the St. Louis Cardinals had a loud offseason. So far, most of those moves look solid, as the Cardinals are off to a much better start than the horrid April that ruined any hopes of contention in 2023. However, with as many moves as the Cardinals made, a few of them are bound to be misses. Here are three Cardinals' offseason moves that already look bad.

Signing Brandon Crawford

Brandon Crawford was signed as a defensive shortstop and a backup to Masyn Winn in the event that Winn would be ineffective or injured at the Major League level. While the 4-time Gold Glover was still a plus defender in his final year in San Francisco, his bat simply wasn't producing anymore. Like Matt Carpenter, Crawford was supposed to be utilized as a veteran voice with minimal playing time as long as Winn was healthy and productive.

So far, Masyn Winn has been much better offensively than he was last year, and his defense is still as advertised. So why did Brandon Crawford draw two starts in the first week of the season? Well, the first was a scheduled off-day for the 22-year-old rookie. The second was a start against Padres' Joe Musgrove, whom Crawford has had historically great numbers against.

Why not only Winn but also Jordan Walker received scheduled off days in favor of Matt Carpenter and Brandon Crawford just three days into the young season baffled many Cardinals fans. It resulted in the first Cardinals win of the season, but the process was incorrect at every step of the way. Even in the late innings, Crawford was not replaced in favor of Winn despite Winn's superior defense.

While it was more understandable playing the matchups against Musgrove, the team needed to understand that much of Crawford's success came in his 4th-place MVP season in 2021. In just his second appearance of the season, Crawford misplayed a soft ground ball that resulted in a decisive run for the Padres that Masyn Winn almost certainly would've recorded an out on. Moreover, Crawford failed to record a hit against Musgrove, so Marmol's decision didn't work out offensively either.

With Edman out for a prolonged period, it's understandable that the Cardinals would turn to a veteran such as Crawford to back up the position, but sitting Winn this often after a stellar start to the season makes the team look bad. As a veteran presence, Crawford should be able to stay ready despite limited playing time. I hope to see much less playing time for Crawford in the future.

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Everything with Tommy Edman

The mishandling of Tommy Edman is perhaps the front office's biggest offense this offseason. At Winter Warm-Up, John Mozeliak noted that he failed to acknowledge Edman's wrist injury because he didn't think it was important. He led fans to believe that Edman would be ready for Opening Day with no problem. Not only did Edman miss all of Spring Training, but he could also miss the rest of the season. After declaring Edman as the starting center fielder, nothing has gone right.

The Cardinals even signed Edman to a two-year contract extension, buying out his final two arbitration years. Had they understood the severity of Edman's injury at the time, this extension probably could've been avoided. Instead, the Cardinals are locked into yet another arbitration contract with a player whose health is in question and has lost significant trade value.

Had the Cardinals moved on from Edman at the trade deadline last year or even earlier in the 2023 offseason, they could've recouped significant value for a piece that has multiple redundancies on the Cardinals' roster. However, they held onto Edman as insurance for Victor Scott II, Dylan Carlson, and Masyn Winn. Carlson is now hurt, and both Scott and Winn are regulars in the Cardinals lineup, leaving little room for Edman.

It's also no guarantee that Edman will be the same player he once was after returning from such a severe injury. If Victor Scott runs with his opportunity in center field and Masyn Winn continues playing at the level he has to start the season, Edman will be relegated to a bench utility role. For a player signed to a hefty arbitration deal, it makes the most sense for the Cardinals to trade him and fill other holes on the roster. However, it looks like the team has waited too long once again and will have to wait until he returns and rebuilds his once sky-high value.