8 lessons the St. Louis Cardinals need to learn from the terrible 2023 season

Be realistic with how difficult it is to replace legends

Willson Contreras was faced with an impossible situation this year, having to step into the shoes of a future Hall of Famer in Yadier Molina, who is probably the best defensive catcher who has ever lived.

Filling Molina's shoes was not possible, but turning the page to a new catcher and doing so with excitement and wonder was something this organization should have been able to pull off. They should have known Contreras' strengths as a hitter and weaknesses behind the plate, and prepared him as best they could to be the best version of himself possible.

Instead, they had expectations of him that only Molina could measure up to. It's almost like the organization forgot just how much Molina did for them in terms of pre-game prep and in-game adjustments and somehow expected Contreras to be those things.

The Cardinals need to do a much better job of preparing for life after a legend leaves, so there is not a huge hole for years where players are set up for failure.