4 things I want from the Cardinals for Christmas to improve this offseason

Merry Christmas Cardinals nation! Hopefully, everybody is enjoying the holiday season with their families for the season of giving. Christmas and New Year's are typically a period of quiet in the free agent and trade market, so we aren't likely to see many moves happen until after the holidays are over. Afterward, however, the Cardinals must make more moves to improve before the 2024 season. Here are four things I want Santa Mozeliak to leave for Cardinals fans under the tree this Christmas:

4 - I want the Cardinals to add two relievers

The Cardinals had a huge starting pitching issue in 2023. Despite claiming to have six starting pitchers, John Mozeliak did not build a starting staff for the regular season. However, the bullpen was often an overlooked problem. Before the Trade Deadline, the Cardinals were on pace to break the single-season blown saves record before selling off many key components. After the Deadline, the blown saves slowed not because the bullpen improved, but because the team got worse and had fewer leads to relinquish.

Sure, the current bullpen would perform fine when healthy with Helsley, Romero, and Gallegos used in high leverage, but the Cardinals would benefit by having more certainty and adding two mid or high-leverage relievers. They missed on one of their primary targets, Yuki Matsui, who signed with the San Diego Padres for 4 years, $21 million, but there are still plenty of other backend options they can target.

It was falsely rumored that the Cardinals were nearing a deal with former Astros reliever Phil Maton, but the fit for Maton in St. Louis makes a lot of sense. Assuming health, the Cardinals have the 9th inning covered, so they don't need to spend too big on the bullpen. Despite being linked to top arms such as Josh Hader, it's extremely unlikely the Cardinals will pay that much for relievers. Ryan Helsley is also a perfectly capable All-Star caliber closer that the Cardinals don't need to replace. The relievers that I want for Christmas are on the cheaper end, like Phil Maton, Jordan Hicks, Woo-Suk Go, and Hector Neris.

2 - I want the Cardinals to extend Jordan Walker and Lars Nootbaar

Outfield stability has been something Cardinals fans have longed for but have not gotten in recent years. And now, with Jordan Walker in right field, Lars Nootbaar in left field, and Victor Scott II presumably taking over in center field, that dream might become a reality. However, the Cardinals need to act quickly on locking up Walker and Nootbaar long-term before they become too expensive to keep.

If the Cardinals want to compete in the National League, they'll have to choose to emulate either the Los Angeles Dodgers or the Atlanta Braves. Copying the Dodgers is almost impossible unless the Cardinals suddenly decide they want to increase payroll to the luxury tax. The Dodgers' system of developing pitching is something the Cardinals can't come up with overnight, and their ability to sign players will be limited by ownership for the foreseeable future. The Braves model of developing position player talent and signing them to team-friendly extensions, however, is much more doable and the Cardinals should start with Walker and Nootbaar.

Despite his poor defense, which improved greatly at the end of the year, Walker showed flashes of superstar potential in his 21-year-old rookie campaign. Expecting him to correct his launch angle and break out as a superstar slugger is not unreasonable at all. He could become a cornerstone in the Cardinals lineup as soon as next year and take charge of the team as Goldschmidt and Arenado continue to age.

Nootbaar's skills as a disciplined leadoff hitter are also something the Cardinals have been missing for a long time. Before Nootbaar, the Cardinals haven't had a consistent table setter for the sluggers in the heart of the order since early Matt Carpenter. He does almost everything right and had an extremely impressive 2023 season, especially considering the several unfortunate injuries he suffered. He could be an All-Star caliber player next year, and the Cardinals will regret not offering him an extension.

1 - I want the Cardinals to add a frontline starting pitcher

Wouldn't it just be poetic for the Cardinals to enter the 2024 season saying "We have six starting pitchers" but to this time actually have the rotation to back that up? The current starting rotation as constructed with Sonny Gray, Miles Mikolas, Kyle Gibson, Steven Matz, and Lance Lynn is fine. It'll probably sustain the Cardinals to at least be in the playoff hunt. But it's certainly not enough to compete with the Dodgers and Braves in the playoffs. If the Cardinals want to get serious about becoming a World Series contender, they'll have to add another starting pitcher, one that is at least better than Miles Mikolas.

With Yoshinobu Yamamoto signing with the Dodgers, the best option for the Cardinals is now off the table, but the trade market for pitching has yet to heat up. Aside from Tyler Glasnow, most of the top-end starting pitchers are still available. Highly coveted trade chips Dylan Cease, Jesus Luzardo, and Corbin Burnes are still with their original teams. Of course, I don't expect the Cardinals to land Burnes, as swinging a blockbuster deal with the division rival Brewers is highly unlikely, but there are still plenty of other options they can target. Logan Gilbert, Patrick Sandoval, Tarik Skubal, and Reid Detmers are all options that would probably cost less than Dylan Cease and would elevate the Cardinals' rotation tremendously.

The Cardinals could also sign another free-agent pitcher. Though unlikely, Jordan Montgomery, Blake Snell, Shota Imanaga, and Marcus Stroman would all be solid options for the final rotation spot. I doubt the Cardinals will stretch the payroll to add one of these names, but a trade of Tommy Edman or Steven Matz could lighten the load to make one of these signings possible.

Please, Santa Mo, make my wishes and the wishes of many other Cardinals fans true this Christmas. We've endured enough as a fanbase with the 2023 season, we truly deserve these gifts this year.