5 front office missteps that defined the 2024 Cardinals

The scramble for clubhouse leadership

After the Cardinals' hideous 2023 season, Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado reportedly expressed their desire for more leaders on the team. The front office complied, netting veterans Lance Lynn, Brandon Crawford and Matt Carpenter. But while the clubhouse may have benefited, it came at the cost of the Cardinals' on-field production.

Although Lynn has pitched to a decent 4.06 ERA and has likely met the Cardinals' realistic expectations of him at this point in his career, Carpenter has managed just a .234 average and a 95 OPS+. Crawford struggled the most out of the bunch, hitting a lowly .169, and he was released in August.

The presence of these veterans has kept the Cardinals from being able to promote and play younger players with higher ceilings. Thomas Saggese has been knocking on the door to the major leagues, but the stated need for leadership to keep young players from "taking over the clubhouse" has clogged the roster.

With the Cardinals fading from postseason contention, the time is now for the team to see what it can get out of its younger players and set them up for improvement in 2025. Along with Crawford, the team has also placed Tommy Pham on waivers and cut ties with Shawn Armstrong, adding Riley O'Brien to the bullpen. The Cardinals achieved their goal of getting more voices on the team, but it's fair to wonder how the Cardinals might have fared if skills were prioritized over leadership to begin the season.