5 Things About The Cardinals: Don't expect midseason improvements from John Mozeliak
A five-game win streak finds a challenge in the road trip.
A baseball season is a marathon for fans and players alike, something that gets lost along the way. The St. Louis Cardinals may have slashed payroll from the upper $170s to $138 million this season, but their chances of making the playoffs haven’t been cut in half or grown much. A wildcard berth is their best chance, even if the division deficit may be less. A five-game winning streak proves their viability as a watchable team isn’t entirely shot.
As lunchtime flies, let’s review a few quick things about the team as it attempts to maintain its 19-19 record on the road.
#5-I wouldn’t expect the home grosses to rise much this summer. Hot weather usually brings the boys and girls to the yard, but the lack of true stars and a mediocre-at-best record will keep most of them at bay. The product of many poor decisions over the years and a lack of player development upkeep made the Cardinals a dull boy, and that doesn’t change without a big star signing or a ridiculous Blues-type winning streak. If St. Louis wins 12 in a row, these thoughts change.
Busch Stadium won’t become Cincinnati for the past two decades or a complete tomb of silence, but the grosses won’t climb over 40,000 that often without a significant change. It’s not 2020 with cardboard cutouts in seats, but it’s only a sea of red because that’s their original color.
#4-Luken Baker being sent down isn’t surprising, but he won’t be the last. Jordan Walker or Nolan Gorman will be sent down or see much less playing time when Ivan Herrera returns. The catcher will get a lot of reps at designated hitter since his catching isn’t the sharpest, which means at-bats will be shuffled around the lineup. Both Walker and Gorman are struggling to hit .200 and showing little promise of a rise in performance. Since they’re in a rebuild, the Cardinals shouldn’t abandon either player, but they don’t like keeping young guys on their bench if playing time isn’t there.
I believe in Walker more than I do Gorman at this point, but the latter has a position at second base that allows him more playing time than someone clamoring for outfield or DH reps. While the “let the kids play” mantra is strong, that doesn’t mean they can’t find some refuge in Memphis for a few weeks.
#3-The DH spot needs help. As Bernie Miklasz pointed out recently, the position that aims to create hits isn’t doing much hitting. The slugging percentage and batting average are down considerably, and it’s not heading in the right direction. Herrera hit well last season, even when he couldn’t throw his grandmother out at second base. He carried a big stick this season before suffering an injury. He offers pop that the DH slot currently lacks, which means fewer at-bats for Alec Burleson, Walker, or Gorman. The first guy in that trio can still hit somewhat, so he isn’t going anywhere. Herrera must rescue the position in the lineup that is supposed to hit.
#2-Hat tip to Matthew Liberatore, who has become a full-fledged rotation beast during the season’s first six weeks. Against more pessimistic odds, Liberatore has produced a string of starts that would be digestible for a #2 starter, even though he came into the season as a #5-type starter. It’s a bright spot in an up-and-down year, proving the team has some young power in their rotation for when Sonny Gray, Miles Mikolas, and Erick Fedde are no longer around, soaking up cash and starts. Liberatore isn’t walking batters and has commanded the strike zone with authority.
#1-John Mozeliak has one foot out the door, folks. Don’t expect much improvement via the trade market here in a few months. Over the offseason, I wondered why the team didn’t sign any big names or do a lot of unloading, and the simple theory eluded my overstuffed brain. Mozeliak doesn’t give a shit anymore. He’s retiring from the Cardinals’ lead decision-making post at the end of the season, so why would he care to add pieces or make substantial moves to improve a roster he won’t be able to manipulate next year?
That’s why he gave Oli Marmol an extension. That’s why he held onto Ryan Helsley. That’s why he only signed Phil Mataan in the offseason. He is ready to expand the parachute and return to a self-made bowtie cave in a few months. Can you blame him? Sure. He ignored restoring the future of this team’s productivity for the past five years, but it’s the arrogance that leaves the building that will enable this team to move on.
That’s all for today. Consider this a quick-ish dose on the baseball team that continues to drive us nuts.