Four mistakes the Cardinals have made this season that stand out above the rest

For years, the Cardinals have had a reputation for doing things the right way. They've built some solid ballclubs and had some truly memorable moments.

In 2011, the pieces all came together at the right time and the team got hot, erasing a 10.5-game Wild Card deficit on their way to their 11th World Series title. Not to mention, they were down to their last strike twice in Game 6.

Two years later, the Cards were back in the Fall Classic, falling just two games short against the Red Sox.

Since then, however, the Cardinals seem to have grown complacent. Their mistakes have come back to haunt them this year, especially as it pertains to the way they've built their pitching staff.

Pitching, or lack thereof, has been what's killed the Cardinals' playoff hopes this year and caused the organization to shift its focus to 2024 and beyond. But pitching isn't the only issue the Cardinals have faced in 2023.

The team has made some questionable decisions on and off the field, which led to some bad press. To make matters worse, it was pretty much an issue from the start, whether it was front-office decisions, managerial decisions, or other mistakes.

Either way, all of these mistakes have made them look bad throughout the season. Granted, the team hasn't played well, but the Cardinals also could have handled a lot of situations much better than they ultimately did.

Here are three mistakes the Cardinals have made during the season this year.