7 players Cardinals fans are losing patience with

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For most of the season, St. Louis Cardinals fans have practiced patience. The ire of the fan base has been squarely on manager Oli Marmol and the president of baseball operations, John Mozeliak. As the frustrations grow and the losses mount, the fans are starting to channel their frustrations elsewhere.

A chorus of boos rang from Busch Stadium at the close of a disappointing series with the Chicago White Sox. Losing a series to the worst team in baseball in the most frustrating ways will do that. While school is still in session, the product on the field is also deterring fans from filling up the seats. It's a staggering sight after seasons of sold-out crowds, even during school nights.

The team remains optimistic that they will turn things around, but the fans are growing frustrated with the lack of results thus far and are shifting their ire to the players.

Paul Goldschmidt

Goldschmidt seemed primed for a tremendous offseason after working to improve his swing. Now that the season has started, he looks completely lost at the plate. It's terrible to see the once dependable hitter come to bat in a bases-loaded situation and strike out. That's different from what anyone wants to see from Goldschmidt.

He was the National League MVP in 2022. The expectation for Goldschmidt is enormous.

Goldschmidt is hitting .195/.287/.263 with an OPS of .550 over 35 games. He has three doubles, two home runs, 16 runs scored, and 11 RBIs. He has struck out 47 times.

If this trend continues, expect to see him on the injured list with a possible impingement. Goldschmidt needs to get right immediately.

Alec Burleson

Burleson has some great moments. He can hit well in some situations, but he has yet to become an everyday player because he doesn't have a set position and is inconsistent at the plate.

Burleson's getting time in the outfield because the team has yet to use the outfield it has wanted with Jordan Walker in the minor leagues and Tommy Edman on the 60-day injured list. Dylan Carlson and Lars Nootbaar are playing daily but are working to get back from their injuries

Burleson may end up on the trade block as players return from injury and minor league stints. It would be good to see him land with a team that will allow him to get some consistency, and if the return includes immediate help for our struggling offense, it would be all the better.

Brandon Crawford

Fans were not thrilled when the veteran shortstop was signed to a one-year contract worth $2 million. Crawford joins the Cardinals after a very successful 13 seasons with the San Fransisco Giants.

Mozeliak signed Crawford with the express intent to be a backup shortstop and mentor to Masyn Winn as he develops into the star the team hopes he will be for years. This sounds great for all involved.

Fans, however, have become accustomed to management playing veterans over young stars, creating playing time, development, and confidence issues. Winn has such high potential that no one wants to see the star get deterred.

With Matt Carpenter also taking a roster spot for veteran leadership and currently on a rehab stint in the minor leagues, it will be interesting to see how far into the summer they will remain on the roster together.

Jose Fermin

Fermin was promoted to the Cardinals when Jordan Walker was demoted to the Redbirds. Fermin performed well at Memphis, earning the promotion.

Fermin's arrival also means that Masyn Winn or Nolan Gorman could see a drop in playing time. Winn has seen a drop in playing time due to lower back tightness. Gorman has seen a drop due to inconsistency at the plate. Gorman has started his season off well but has steadily declined. While the players need their breaks, there are better options than Fermin. He performs well at the AAA level, but his skills in the big leagues are not great.

It may be time to give Thomas Saggese a shot. He has a .246 average at Memphis with four home runs, 17 RBIs, and four stolen bases. How nice would it be to have that available for the Cardinals?

Nolan Gorman

Gorman and the Cardinals thought they unlocked what had been ailing the young player. Suffering from tightness in his back, he changed a beloved snack to a healthier option for popcorn made with coconut oil.

While he did trim down, he's having issues at the plate. He can't get a hit. Through 32 games, he's hitting .175/.248/.325 with an OPS of .573. He has five doubles, four home runs, eight runs scored, and 12 RBIs. He has 11 walks but has struck out 42 times.

Gorman was a top-hitting prospect in the organization just two seasons ago. It would not be surprising to see him get demoted or even land on the injured list to work on his hitting more. Gorman is another bat the Cardinals need to get right immediately.

Giovanny Gallegos

Gallegos has always had the vibe of a pitcher: You never know what you'll get. This season, though, has been considerably more unpredictable. After his last outing, Gallegos was placed on the injured list for a right shoulder impingement.

Gallegos is 2-1 this season with one save and a 12 ERA. Over nine innings, he's given up 12 earned runs, five home runs, seven walks, and one wild pitch. He's struck out 13 batters.

Hopefully, Gallegos' stint on the injured list will allow him to reset and regain control of his stuff. When he's effective, Gallegos is a great reliever. Let's hope he gets back to being effective.

Miles Mikolas

If you are going to be a big talker, you should at least be able to back it up. Mikolas began the season with a big attitude toward those doubting the 2024 St. Louis Cardinals would be good. As of Thursday afternoon, the Cardinals are 15-21, and Miles Mikolas has a 2-5 record with an ERA of 6.43.

If Mikolas's outings backed up that bravado, fans would be in love. But as is, it's more frustrating that he's going to go out there and not perform. Thus far, he's given up 55 hits, 30 earned runs, eight home runs, seven walks, and hit two batters by pitch. Mikolas has struck out 32 batters.

Mikolas was supposed to be the steady veteran of the starting rotation. Instead, he is a wild card with more stability from the club's offseason signees Sonny Gray, Lance Lynn, and Kyle Gibson.

Mikolas is effective when he's pitching well. It would be nice to see him return to form this season. He is in the second year of a three-year contract worth $55.75 million. He will be a free agent again in 2026.

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