5 ways the Cardinals can embarrass themselves further this offseason

For a franchise with a reputation of success such as the St. Louis Cardinals, the 2023 was a failure and an embarrassment on multiple fronts. Not only did the Cardinals finish last in the NL Central for the first time in the division's existence, but they also did so entering the seasons as heavy favorites to win the division. The supposed starting pitching depth was nonexistent, as the Milwaukee Brewers steamrolled their way to the NL Central crown. For Cardinals fans is there really anything more embarrassing than finishing below the dismal Pittsburgh Pirates?

Another year of Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado's prime years was wasted as the Cardinals played their worst season since 1990 and their first sub-.500 season since 2007. This offseason is perhaps the most important one in Cardinals history, so the front office must be careful not to make the same mistakes. Ownership has vowed to make the 2023 season a blip on an otherwise successful run, but like the payroll increase that never came, those promises could prove to be very empty.

The Cardinals may once again find themselves on the couch in October watching former players such as Adolis Garcia, Jordan Montgomery, Zac Gallen, and many others find success on the biggest stage.

Without a few philosophical changes, the Cardinals could find themselves in the exact same spot next offseason. Cardinals fans' disappointment would be at an all-time high, and both John Mozeliak and Oli Marmol would probably lose their jobs. So, what mistakes do they need to avoid?

Here are five ways the St. Louis Cardinals can embarrass themselves further this offseason.

Number 5: Letting Yadier Molina go somewhere else

The biggest change for the Cardinals moving from 2022 to 2023 was the departure of Albert Pujols and Yadier Molina. Initially, the absence of these two leaders in the clubhouse and Cardinals legends went underrated as most believed the Cardinals would still win the division with their current core. However, tensions quickly rose as Oli Marmol and Tyler O'Neill had an early-season disagreement, and the organization lost faith in Willson Contreras rather quickly. The clubhouse chemistry seemingly crumbled overnight, and Pujols and Molina were sorely missed.

With reports that the Cardinals and Yadier Molina are both open to having the future Hall of Famer on the coaching staff next season, they cannot miss this opportunity. Molina's presence in the clubhouse would be a major stabilizing factor, especially as Adam Wainwright has retired as well. Having a familiar face with such a wealth of baseball wisdom would be hugely beneficial.

It's no secret Molina will be looking for managerial opportunities soon, and it's obvious he would prefer that role in St. Louis. Starting with a bench coach role and looking at him as the manager of the future is the best way to do it. It's been reported Molina received coaching offers with the Miami Marlins last season and probably will draw interest from other teams, but his clear preference would be the Cardinals.

For a leader as valuable as Molina, the Cardinals cannot allow him to land anywhere else. If Molina wants to return to MLB as a coach next year, the Cardinals must choose to bring him back. Allowing him to manage for another team would be a massive embarrassment.

Number 3: Removing Willson Contreras from catching duties... again

The puzzling decision to remove Willson Contreras from catching duties in 2023 was possibly the Cardinals' most embarrassing choice during the season. After nearly two decades of future Hall of Famer Yadier Molina behind the plate, the Cardinals moved towards an offense-first approach at the catcher position. Contreras was never known for great defense, and the Cardinals knew that prior to signing him.

However, less than two months into his Cardinals tenure, Contreras was temporarily moved from catching duties and used as the team's DH. The Cardinals quickly realized their mistake and reinstated him as the everyday catcher, but it's been rumored they're considering making the same change for next season.

While Contreras is a solid hitter, using him as a DH makes the lineup significantly weaker. Not only does a worse offensive catcher in Knizner or Herrera need to start every day, but the flexibility of the DH spot is also entirely gone. Some teams use a primary DH such as Shohei Ohtani, Giancarlo Stanton, or Kyle Schwarber, but those hitters are all much better than Contreras. The Cardinals are much better suited when using the DH spot to rest Paul Goldschmidt, Nolan Arenado, or Nolan Gorman so they don't have to play the field every day. Contreras is a stellar offensive catcher, but a mediocre offensive DH.

Moreover, pitchers such as Miles Mikolas have defended Contreras' defense and game-calling. Of course, Contreras won't be Yadier Molina, but the Cubs' pitching was fine for years using him behind the dish. The Cardinals' inability to use him as the starting catcher is less Contreras' fault and more the team being unprepared to be without their franchise catcher. Contreras was never the problem. It was the Cardinals' poor pitching. Hopefully, if the rumors are true, the Cardinals will bring back Molina as a coach to make the transition smoother for Contreras next year.

Number 2: Trading Nolan Gorman

The successes of Adolis Garcia and Randy Arozarena in the Postseason have been painful to watch for any Cardinals fan. However, John Mozeliak has been unfairly criticized for both of those moves. Randy Arozarena's off-the-field drama after live-streaming Mike Shildt's players-only celebration speech to Instagram is likely what led to his exodus from St. Louis. Without that incident, the Cardinals would have probably kept the 2020 ALCS MVP.

Criticism of Mozeliak for the Adolis Garcia trade is even more confusing, as the Cardinals weren't the only team to miss on Garcia's eventual breakout. The Texas Rangers also DFA'ed Garcia before all 29 other teams missed an opportunity to claim the 2023 ALCS MVP off waivers. Not only did Mo miss on Garcia, but so did every other team in baseball. Don't criticize the Cardinals for letting Adolis Garcia go, praise Adolis Garcia for working hard and succeeding.

Now that I've praised the front office more than most fans would like, I'll stop defending them. If John Mozeliak trades Nolan Gorman this offseason, it'll be the biggest miss of his career. Far bigger than Arozarena, Garcia, or even the Marcell Ozuna trade. Of course, there are caveats to this. If the Mariners somehow decide they'll part with George Kirby and Luis Castillo for Gorman, then sure let him go.

But at his current market value, Gorman should be untouchable. His power at second base is extremely rare and he's already shown that at the Major League level. He could be a 40+ home run hitter one day like Kyle Schwarber. Currently, it seems he's valued on the same level as Brendan Donovan or even Tommy Edman, but he should be regarded the same as Jordan Walker or Lars Nootbaar.

Yes, I did compare Gorman to Paul DeJong in a different article ranking extension candidates, but that's more in regards to DeJong's decline rather than any fault of Gorman's. If the front office parts with Nolan Gorman this offseason, they'll risk losing a threatening left-handed power bat in their lineup for years to come.

Number 1: Failing to increase payroll and not acquiring top-end pitching

"We have six starting pitchers" is perhaps the most embarrassing moment of John Mozeliak's entire career as leader of the Cardinals' front office. After bringing back 41-year-old Adam Wainwright for a farewell season, Mozeliak cited nonexistent pitching depth as the reason for not adding any more. A huge mistake. His presumed six starting pitchers were: Adam Wainwright, Miles Mikolas, Jordan Montgomery, Jack Flaherty, Steven Matz, and Dakota Hudson.

Technically, those are six starting pitchers, but certainly not six good starting pitchers. Mozeliak has stated the Cardinals will try to acquire three starting pitchers this offseason, and I'm inclined to believe him. However, there's a chance he won't acquire three good starters. For example, the Cardinals acquired three starting pitchers at the 2021 Trade Deadline in Wade LeBlanc, Jon Lester, and J.A. Happ, none of whom would satisfy Cardinals fans this offseason. Sure, that was somehow enough pitching depth to go on a magical run to the Postseason, but that certainly won't be enough this year.

In fairness, I'm being a bit hard on Mozeliak here. Given the restrictions of ownership, he's done a solid job in signings and trades. The responsibility to acquire starters falls upon ownership. In years past ownership has had a staunch philosophy against signing the top of the starting pitching market, and that must change for the Cardinals to have any success in 2024. The usual "dumpster diving" just won't cut it for next year.

Fortunately, the Cardinals have been linked to the top starters (Nola, Snell, Gray, Yamamoto, and Montgomery) already, a much-needed step in the right direction. But if they fail to land them it'll all be meaningless. No excuses this time. The Cardinals have to spend.