Cardinals fans have spoken, now it's on ownership and the front office to deliver

No matter where you look, St. Louis Cardinals fans are making their displeasure with the organization known, and now it's time for ownership and the front office to deliver an answer for failed expectations.

Choose your social media outlet of choice, and you'll see Cardinals fans' frustration at an all-time high. Hop over on YouTube or your favorite podcasting app, and you'll find countless episodes discussing how the Cardinals should go about making changes to the organization. Frankly, just look at our website or other blogs and publications - it's not exactly rainbows and butterflies over here these days.

The response that has probably impacted the organization's view on fan support has been the decline in attendance at the ballpark. While attendance has rebounded in some games since the most jarring images of a practically empty Busch Stadium III arose, it's still been a sobering experience to see a city so in love with baseball be so turned off by the product that is being given to them.

It would be one thing if this was a blip in the radar, but it no longer can be spun as that. 2023 was supposed to be that year for the organization, and while the Cardinals are not nearly as bad record-wise, the systemic issues that fans pointed to last year have reared their ugly head once again in 2024.

The St. Louis Cardinals are not like other organizations. They aren't supposed to take mediocrity lightly. The Cardinals are supposed to be the organization that always finds new ways to win and do so at the highest level. Frankly, that just has not been the case over the last decade, dating all the way back to 2014.

Grace was given to the organization by many fans. Sure, there was a desire for more, but many fans recognized the accomplishments that this front office had from 2011-2014, and how great of an era of baseball it had been since the DeWitt family took over. But that patience got thinner and thinner as the years went on, and as fans got noisier and noisier, it was no longer just a small percentage of the fanbase calling for change, it now seems to be the overwhelming opinion of those who want to love this team again.

Prior to the 2024 season, Katie Woo of The Athletic ran a survey of over 3,000 fans, and even then, the confidence and support from fans were teetering. Can you imagine what the responses would be like if that poll was done again today? Needless to say, I don't think the front office or ownership would like what fans have to say.

Fans want change. They want to see significant change within the front office, and they want to see new leadership go about team building in a different way. I don't think fans are opposed to a retool or a rebuild, but they want to be confident in the direction of the club. No more of these "Flex Seal" solutions in an attempt to patch together a sinking ship. It's time to replace the hull of the ship, to lay down a new foundation, and to get this organization back on track.

It's on ownership and the Cardinals' front office now to respond to fans' call for change

Fans have done all they can at this point to call for change, and now the ball is in Bill DeWitt Jr. and John Mozeliak's court to deliver the changes necessary to appease fans.

One significant change was announced last week as director of player development Gary LaRocque is set to retire from his position following the 2024 season and take on an advisory role through the 2025 campaign. Player development has been an area of the organization under immense scrutiny over the last few years, so change occurring in that department will be welcomed by fans.

But that can't be the only change made this offseason. Fans want more. Frankly, they deserve more. How the Cardinals decide to handle John Mozeliak's final year under contract will dictate serious fans believe the club is about change. Beyond that, the status of other executives and manager Oliver Marmol will be a big talking point for many fans as well.

When it comes to players on the roster, running it back with names like Lance Lynn, Kyle Gibson, Miles Mikolas, Steven Matz, or even Paul Goldschmidt may turn fans off in a significant way. If the Cardinals want butts in seats again at Busch Stadium, they are going to have to have significant change at every level of the baseball operations and on-field personnel.

That's a lot of change for an organization that has valued stability and continuity for so long, and yet, it's the bar that's been set for them.

Will they clear it?

Well, that's what remains to be seen.