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.

3 - I want the Cardinals to keep Nolan Gorman and Brendan Donovan

Many of the next items on my Christmas wishlist will likely involve the Cardinals making trades to upgrade the team. However, there are two players who have been thrown around in trade talks that I don't want the Cardinals parting with if they don't have to: Nolan Gorman and Brendan Donovan.

Nolan Gorman's prolific power at second base speaks for itself. Had he stayed healthy in 2023, he almost certainly would've reached the 30-home run mark and possibly even approached 40. The power he possesses from the left side is extremely rare and extremely valuable. Moreover, the Cardinals have been burned too many times by giving up on young and talented bats too early. Randy Arozarena and Adolis Garcia never had much time to prove themselves at the Major League level before blossoming into ALCS MVP winners on other teams. Gorman, however, has proven himself to be a key contributor for the Cardinals next year, and giving up on them would be a more obvious mistake than Garcia or Arozarena ever were.

Brendan Donovan is the other player coveted by many teams in the trade market. While none of his tools are quite as strong as Gorman's power, his ability to play almost every position well, hitting for a high average, and elite plate discipline make him extremely valuable as well. Donovan seemingly robbed his teammate Tommy Edman of the utility Gold Glove award in 2022, but his positioning as the ultimate utility player makes his defense arguably more valuable than Edman's. If the Cardinals had to part with one of Gorman or Donovan however, I would choose Donovan simply because none of his individual tools aren't unique and are thus replaceable, but Donvan's versatility makes it hard to part with him.

If the Cardinals want to bolster the rotation or bullpen via trade, they should avoid trading either Gorman or Donovan but rather unproven prospects. Of course, that's easier said than done, as other teams will covet the two infielders more than any prospects, but I hope Santa Mozeliak can work some Christmas magic and improve the pitching while keeping both Gorman and Donovan.

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.