Even rival executives expect the Cardinals to spend big this offseason

Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post Dispatch and Katie Woo of The Athletic have been very outspoken about Bill Dewitt Jr.'s desire to spend this offseason. The team has ranked in the middle of the pack for the past decade or so on payroll, and the results haven't been positive. After an abysmal 71-91 season, the front office must spend money to make up lost ground with other teams such as the Philadelphia Phillies and Texas Rangers.

Now, rival General Managers are starting to speak out about John Mozeliak's drive to field a great team in 2024.

According to one rival GM, John Mozeliak is "really, really motivated" to contend again in 2024. Players such as Aaron Nola and Yoshinobu Yamamoto will easily command contracts near or greater than $200 million depending on the length of the contract. Either way, these will be the largest contracts in franchise history that have been given to a free agent.

While the Cardinals have inked players to pricey extensions in the past, no true free agent has ever been signed to St. Louis for this dollar amount. It is also likely that the Cardinals sign not just one starter but another high-end starter and at least one high-leverage reliever.

With a reported $60 million to spend this offseason, John Mozeliak has quite a bit of money to work with. That money will go quickly if Mo signs Nola and Yamamoto, but he can get creative with other free agents such as Sonny Gray, Eduardo Rodriguez, Jordan Montgomery, and even Blake Snell. There are plenty of high-end relievers available as well.

Mozeliak's job may depend on this offseason, so his drive makes sense. Fans of the Cardinals should be happy to hear about their General Manager singing a different tune this offseason.