Three moves the Cardinals could have made last offseason to prevent this disaster

3. Let Adam Wainwright walk/retire

I think all of us are elated that Adam Wainwright got his 200th win. He deserved it. He's pitched for a long time and has been one of the greatest players to ever wear the Birds on the Bat. But his collapse in September last year raised concerns.

Wainwright's velocity dipped dramatically, and he ultimately did not pitch in the Wild Card Series against the Phillies. The Cardinals committed $17.5 million to him, only for him to go 5-11 with an ERA of 7.40 and land on the injured list twice.

It would have been smarter for the Cardinals to not invest in bringing him back and instead look to acquire better and younger starters. Cardinals fans will always love Wainwright and appreciate what he did for the organization and the St. Louis community. That will never go unnoticed. He truly is a great human being with a big heart.

But bringing him back ultimately stopped the Cardinals from going out and adding more starting pitchers. As a result, the rotation faltered, and the Cardinals now find themselves on the outside looking in instead of competing for a championship.