The St. Louis Cardinals offseason summarized in 7 quotes

"It's frustrating for sure." - Tommy Edman

After Harrison Bader was dealt away at the 2022 trade deadline and Dylan Carlson experienced a variety of setbacks, the Cardinals were desperate for a new starting center fielder. For the past few years, Tommy Edman had been a super-utility guy. He had won a Gold Glove at Second base, and he was a stalwart at shortstop.

His next challenge? Center field.

Edman became the team's starting center fielder on May 30th and never looked back. Edman's offense took a hit (.760 OPS before May 30th, .702 OPS by the end of the season), but his defense was supreme at a key position in the field. He was able to log 5 Outs Above Average in only 310.2 innings in center.

News broke in early January that Edman had arthroscopic surgery on his right wrist back in October. There wasn't much of a timetable for his return, but the hope was that Edman would be able to see game time in Spring Training and avoid an IL stint.

That wasn't the case. The Cardinals announced on March 14th that Edman would start the year on the Injured List, and there was no schedule for his build-up. Oliver Marmol and John Mozeliak had to shift their plans dramatically in the final weeks of spring. Without Tommy Edman in center, Dylan Carlson will receive a full run there.

Edman's injury announcement was puzzling given the timing, and his slow recovery has been even more frustrating. Edman has even said as much. Recurring inflammation has put the brakes on his recuperation, and he isn't yet doing any hitting or throwing of any kind.

Tommy Edman was given a contract extension that will take him through this year and next. Hopefully, he can get back on the field soon. He is a talented, versatile player who provides a lot of value to the team.

"It will be good to get an outside perspective of our organization from someone who is as well-respected as Chaim." - John Mozeliak

For decades, the "Cardinal Way" has preached promotion from within. Players are developed at a young age, pushed level by level, then brought to the majors with hard work and determination in their DNA. Managers are historically people who toiled as coaches in the minors within the Cardinals' system. Outside voices have not been welcome in the clubhouse and offices for a long time.

All of that changed when John Mozeliak brought over Chaim Bloom from the Boston Red Sox. Bloom is a well-respected executive who has done plenty of great things for both the Tampa Bay Rays and Boston Red Sox. The Rays have been able to produce the most 2+-WAR pitchers in baseball for years now, and that started with Chaim Bloom's development plan. Additionally, the Red Sox had an ALCS pennant to their name while he was at the helm.

As John Mozeliak states, an outside perspective was necessary for the Cardinals this offseason. With Mozeliak's departure imminent, a contingency plan must be made. Chaim Bloom has experience as a president of baseball operations. Randy Flores, the team's current scouting and drafting director, appears to be deserving of a promotion as well.

Regardless of who takes the highest operations position in 2027, Chaim Bloom's inclusion in the front office for the foreseeable future will pay dividends for an organization that has become stale in the last few years.

The Cardinals' pitching development has been lackluster; given Bloom's track record, it is reasonable to assume that the tides will turn soon for the team's pitching woes. Players like Tink Hence, Tekoah Roby, and Cooper Hjerpe are all promising prospects; when paired with Chaim Bloom's expertise, the Cardinals could see their rotation in 2025 and beyond be built up by a pipeline of talented pitchers.

"It's likely there will be a direct-to-consumer product that emerges where anybody that doesn't have access to games now would be able to buy a monthly package and get direct streaming in-market." - Bill DeWitt III

For over a year, several teams across MLB, NBA, and NHL have been left high and dry regarding their TV rights. Diamond Sports Group (DSG), the parent company to Bally Sports, filed for bankruptcy in March 2023. From that moment on, teams including the St. Louis Cardinals began finding alternative plans for broadcasting their games.

Major League Baseball helped the Arizona Diamondbacks last year with broadcasting, but the climate has changed this year. Teams have largely been left to their own devices to find ways to broadcast games in 2025 and even some here in 2024.

While the mystery surrounding broadcasting games has been put on the back burner in recent months, it's a major point of concern for certain mid-market teams. The Cardinals receive a lot of funding from their TV deal; without guaranteed funds coming in, the organization must spend differently. Fans got a taste of that this offseason when the budget was frozen around $200 million.

Bill DeWitt III posited creating a direct-to-consumer product in which fans can buy a subscription for a set dollar amount to watch all games throughout the year. National broadcasts would be blacked out in this instance.

For comparison, the Arizona Diamondbacks released their own TV subscription plan. Fans can purchase a whole-year package for $99.99 or pay a monthly fee of $19.99. This is a preview of what could be on the horizon for all teams.

The Cardinals have a loyal and national fanbase. With a direct-to-consumer streaming service, fans across the world can watch their favorite team play on a nightly basis. This situation is still very fluid, but ownership seems optimistic that games will be broadcast easily in 2025 and beyond one way or another.

"I think the biggest change from a year ago to where we are today is the veteran leadership." - John Mozeliak

Plenty of ink has been spilled this offseason regarding a lack of leadership in the clubhouse last year. One of the explanations for a sub-par 2024 season was a lack of veteran leadership. That void, along with rotation needs and bullpen assistance, was one that needed to be filled this winter. By adding players such as Sonny Gray, Lance Lynn, Kyle Gibson, Matt Carpenter, and Brandon Crawford, the leadership hole was filled, at least on paper.

Nolan Arenado and Paul Goldschmidt stumped for the addition of Matt Carpenter. Lance Lynn and Kyle Gibson bring innings, experience, and leadership. Sonny Gray has already left his imprint on the pitching staff that missed Yadier Molina last year.

When talking with The Athletic, Mozeliak made it a point to discuss the absences of Albert Pujols and Yadier Molina last year. The team lacked true leadership last year, and Mozeliak sought that quality in his free-agent additions this winter.

The veteran leadership is reportedly one of the most exciting aspects of this roster according to John Mozeliak. The clubhouse last year was faltering. The team's manager, Oliver Marmol, even went so far as to say that certain players needed to be "weeded out". The additions of strong clubhouse figures with leadership qualities won't be able to be quantified this year. But the feel on the field will hopefully be dramatically different.

The issue with these veteran leaders is that they haven't exactly performed well in recent history, Sonny Gray excluded. Matt Carpenter hasn't had an OPS+ greater than 100 in a full season since 2018. Brandon Crawford had a great 2022, but he has been up and down each year, and his defense was bad last year by some metrics. Lance Lynn and Kyle Gibson both had ERAs greater than 4.73 last year.

Veteran leadership is important; let's just hope individual success comes out of these savvy old-timers.

"We have to take a huge step." - Nolan Arenado

There's no way around it; the 2023 St. Louis Cardinals season was a disappointment on virtually every front. The team's final record placed them in last in a bad division, the defensive performances were not something fans were familiar with seeing, the rotation was historically bad, and the stars did not shine as brightly as they did in 2022.

Nolan Arenado took that personally. For a player who is known for being competitive and fiery, Arenado took a lot of responsibility for the 2023 season. He's a leader on this team, contrary to the opinions of some, and this quote embodies his goal for 2024: to win.

In an interview with Katie Woo of The Athletic, Arenado spoke of the importance of the 2024 season. It's a pivotal year for a franchise that hasn't won a playoff game in half a decade. The urgency to succeed next season is massive; the pressure on the players is even greater. Arenado is placing some of the most pressure on the team on himself.

The St. Louis Cardinals' franchise is synonymous with winning; 11 World Series titles will do that to an organization. To hear Nolan Arenado, one of the most veteran and talented players on the roster, speak with such candor is refreshing. There is a fire under this team for 2024. Now, they have to go out and perform.

It all starts with him, however. Arenado had a career-worst year last year. His 107 OPS+ was the lowest he's ever had, and his defense, according to some metrics, was also the worst. He accumulated only 5 OAA, a total that was surpassed by even the COVID-shortened 2020 season.

If Nolan Arenado can return to form and lead by example, this team, particularly the offense and defense, can make a serious push for the postseason. Arenado's statement is as powerful as it is brief.

"I’ve always had a lot of confidence in Oli." - John Mozeliak

Perhaps one of the most maligned moves of the offseason wasn't even with a player. In a surprise move late in spring training, Oliver Marmol was given a two-year contract extension.

Marmol was initially promoted to manager due to his strong rapport with management and ownership. He had an understanding of sabermetrics, and his leadership qualities were touted by those around him. Marmol's rookie campaign was stellar; the Cardinals finished 2022 with 93 wins and a division title. He placed 4th in National League Manager of the Year voting that year.

2023 was a different story. Marmol isn't fully to blame for the team's failures last year, but he certainly holds enough of the blame to not deserve a contract extension right after the season. His managerial career has been a tale of two stories.

During a press conference announcing Marmol's extension, John Mozeliak spoke glowingly about his field manager. Mo spoke about Marmol's growth in a season of struggles. He also doubled down on his confidence in Marmol to lead the team to success in 2024.

Along with these glowing remarks, Mozeliak spoke about the importance of signing the extension now. This way, the pressure is lessened on the young manager. Rather than having his status up in the air for next year, Marmol has assurance and comfort. Hopefully, this allows him to let loose a little and focus more on managing the team in front of him rather than always looking over his shoulder.

With a contract extension in tow, Marmol now can focus on leading his 26 players to success next year. This extension is questionable, so Oli must now prove the doubters wrong.