The St. Louis Cardinals offseason summarized in 7 quotes

Quotes are a wonderful way to get a point across. They are terse, to the point, and generally controversial. That's the fun side of them.

Plenty of statements have been made by a plethora of players, coaches, front office staff, and ownership this offseason that were defining for the St. Louis Cardinals' winter break. Many quotes underscored certain moves the team made or would make, and some were franchise-altering.

I wanted to take a look at just 7 quotes this offseason from people across the spectrum of people who are associated with the Birds on the Bat. These statements defined the course of the organization not only this winter but also for the foreseeable future.

Here are 7 offseason-defining quotes from St. Louis Cardinals players, staff members, and ownership.

"I wanted to be here." - Sonny Gray and "It's meaningful that we have people who want to come back here." - John Mozeliak

This is the line that is most reassuring to me. St. Louis was starting to feel like No Man's Land (not to be confused with Big Mac Land). The coasts and big-spending teams outside of the heart of the country were continually bringing in big-name free agents, and the Cardinals were left in the dust.

To hear Sonny Gray, a top-10 free agent this past offseason, speak about his desire to come pitch in The Lou carries weight for other players. Additionally, John Mozeliak was on record multiple times saying that veterans like Lance Lynn, Kyle Gibson, Matt Carpenter, and Brandon Crawford were all drawn to the franchise and city.

While John Mozeliak may have taken interest in the city as too important of a factor with some signings, the fact that he was able to come to a true mutual agreement with these players speaks volumes.

This sentiment can carry weight beyond just this offseason; with All-Star pitchers available next offseason, perhaps the desirability of St. Louis will extend to 2025.