What will it take to excite Cardinal fans once again?

Big Signings

This approach may not actually be as fruitful as expected. This past offseason, John Mozeliak signed last year's American League Cy Young runner-up, and attendance at Sonny Gray's games isn't noticeably greater than other games. Signing Gray was huge this offseason, but it hasn't seemed to pay dividends.

Perhaps a true top-tier signing would make an impact amongst fans. This upcoming offseason, players such as Juan Soto, Corbin Burnes, Pete Alonso, Max Fried, and Japanese phenom Roki Sasaki will all be available via free agency. Not one of them will sign for less than $25 million annually, so the DeWitt family will have to open up their pocketbooks if they want a player who will draw fans. Don't expect them to do so.

However, Mozeliak acquired two top-20 players in baseball within three years (Goldschmidt and Arenado), and he signed one of the best pitchers available this past offseason, and fans still aren't coming out in droves. Will big-name players actually move the attendance needle? I'm skeptical.

Transparency

The Cardinal Way has included tight-lipped executives and political-esque stances and statements from everyone associated with the organization. John Mozeliak will never telegraph his specific plans -- nor should he. But if the organization wants to see more fans in the seats, everyone from the top-ranking executive to the field manager must be transparent.

Fans don't like being toyed with. When a need is obvious for a team but an executive skirts around this weakness in interviews or acquisitions, fans notice. For years, fans were treated to a consistent on-field product that produced division-winning caliber teams. Transparency wasn't abundant throughout the 2000s and 2010s, but there wasn't much of a need for that when the team kept winning.

Now, after back-to-back underwhelming seasons, perhaps a more unambiguous approach to things would do ownership well. If the team wants to maintain a "get in and win" approach with the playoffs, tell the fans that. If ownership sees a total rebuild as the best route to consistent success once again, let fans know that, too. Derrick Goold put this concept best in his most recent chat.

We just had a conversation in the press box about how refreshing it would be for the Cardinals to talk openly and honestly about wanting to be the best team in the NL again, not just the NL Central. Talk about having the best record in the NL, say that's the brand and live up to it.

Whatever path is chosen, ownership owes it to the fanbase to let them know the approach so the loyal supporters aren't drudging around for years feeling betrayed and let down.

Birng back more legacy players

This may include future Hall of Famer Paul Goldschmidt, much to the chagrin of many fans. Paul Goldschmidt, at this point in his career, is equally as much a Cardinal as he was a Diamondback, and the odds of him going into Cooperstown with a Cardinal hat on increase each year. Bringing him back for a farewell tour, similar to what the team did with Albert Pujols but to a lesser degree, would probably bring some fans to the stadium.

If this is the route the team takes, the coaching staff will have to be measured with their actions. Pujols was playing quite well in 2022, so Oliver Marmol played him regularly. If Goldschmidt struggles while under a farewell contract, Marmol must not be afraid to sit him.

This path won't move the needle dramatically on attendance numbers, but it could help.

Lean into the youth

Masyn Winn. Jordan Walker. Tink Hence. Quinn Mathews. These four players could very easily be the cornerstones of a contending team come 2026. Perhaps pushing their full arrivals up to 2025 would energize a fanbase that is growing weary of aged, underperforming, and expensive veterans rounding out a roster. When the players are excited, so too are the fans. Very few people in baseball are as testosterone-enraged as a 20-something young player. That energy would be infectious for the fans.

Additionally, bringing these players on early will allow fans to become familiar with them over the course of their careers. Winn, Walker, Hence, and Mathews are probably the four best young players the organization boasts. Let the kids play.