John Mozeliak clears the air about Cardinals deadline: "My hands were not tied"

The 2024 MLB trade deadline is officially over and the St. Louis Cardinals came away with one of the more impressive displays of bargaining. In what many fans call the steal of the deadline, John Mozeliak and his front office landed Erick Fedde and Tommy Pham in a three-team trade that only cost them an injured Tommy Edman and prospect Oliver Gonzales. Mozeliak was not done there, as he designated Giovanni Gallegos for assignment which cleared a roster spot for a reliever. With the acquisition of Tommy Pham, it was all but inevitable that Dylan Carlson would be dealt. Late Tuesday afternoon, Mozeliak pulled off a swap with Tampa Bay trading Carlson for reliever Shawn Armstrong.

The Cardinals managed to improve the current team significantly without costing any of the future of the organization. What makes it more impressive is that the front office was able to do it by swapping salaries to not hinder the budget. What became a very notable quote during this week, St. Louis Cardinals owner Bill DeWitt Jr boldly stated that the organization will not be taking on any significant increase in payroll in 2024 or future seasons ahead via trades. This has fans disgruntled given the organization stated they were going to increase the payroll during the 2024 season. The Cardinals are in a much better position to chase a wild card berth now versus this time last season. Most people would expect the organization to avoid repeating last season and make a stronger push to bring the interest of fans back. John Mozeliak worked with what he had, and most definitely made the most of it.

John Mozeliak spoke with reporters to recap his trade deadline and hedid not hold back. The top point made was that Mozeliak was not being held back by ownership. He states he had no financial restrictions and the team added $1.5 million to the current payroll. Gallegos being placed on waivers will allow a team to claim him, and the Cardinals will eat the remaining $1.84 million owed to Gallegos which doesn't include an additional $500k buyout for the 2025 team option. Money seems to not be an issue for Mozeliak as he made tough decisions to improve the roster.

No matter if you think the players acquired or the players traded away were the right choice, the Cardinals have improved going forward. The long-term picture for the franchise is a big question mark with many players not developing throughout the minor leagues and veteran players' contracts coming due. But for now, let's ignore all of that. The 2024 St. Louis Cardinals have a shot to play in the postseason. They might not be made to win it all, but at least we have a chance to return to Busch Stadium with Rally Towels and bullpen jackets. Let's enjoy the second half of the season!