Goodbye, nostalgia tour: Wainwright retirement must ignite Cardinal rebirth
You've made so much money, fellas. Let's see it put to action.
Nostalgia can be like a drug. It delivers exactly what you asked for, and in a reasonable matter of time with the most comforting format. The consistency balances out the redundancy, and the thrill is easy to appreciate. But it can be like chocolate: a little goes a long way, but a lot can connect you directly to a toilet.
The St. Louis Cardinals just took a big, giant shit in 2023--all over their fans. Despite their horrific 71-91 record, St. Louis finished fourth in average attendance with over 40,000. They sold 3.2 million plus tickets this year, even if the seats grew emptier by the week. Whether or not fans show up, though, doesn’t really matter when those checks are being deposited.
If I were Bill DeWitt Jr, coasting would be nice. You barely won over 70 games, and yet all of that money was made. A smart businessman would continue the trend and roster construction format. But I sorely hope he hands John Mozeliak enough cash to fix his mistakes.
The former genius-maybe Jeff Luhnow really had more of the smooth strokes in the G.M. department-has to show fans something this coming offseason. The promise of three starting pitchers amid an on-the-move retool won’t be easy, especially since every team knows the Cardinals are shopping with desperate notions. If the roster isn’t reloaded and stocked for a 2024 playoff run, those ticket sales will go down.
Fans around here aren’t used to losing seasons. 2023 was only the SECOND losing season for St. Louis since 2000. There’s a new soccer team down the street setting expansion team records, and a hockey team firing up a fresh season a little closer to Busch Stadium, the former place of Lou sports adoration. Time is of the essence, Mr. Mozeliak.
With the retirement of Adam Wainwright, the nostalgia tour is over. Finished. Concluded, whatever fits the vocal bill of the moment. Albert Pujols and Yadier Molina went out on their horses last year, and Waino followed suit this summer. Now, the roster has lost some weary age from its knees. Miles Mikolas is the oldest Cardinal on the team now, seven years younger than Wainwright.
A healthy Brendan Donovan and (cross those damn fingers) Lars Nootbaar should settle out an at-times ferocious and other times snoozy offense. The bullpen needs a fresh oil change and more labels on its arms, but that’s not a hard fix. Put me in the “Matthew Liberatore should be a reliever, at least for now camp", only due to the direness of this team’s situation.
You can’t count on a turnaround if Liberatore, Mikolas, and Steven Matz fill out 3/5 of your rotation. That is unless they go out and acquire two Aaron Nolas instead of just one. The Cardinals need rotation slots #1-3 filled this winter. Mikolas, 35 years old, and Matz are their bottom slot holders. The amount of success Mozeliak and his team have in free agency/trades following the worst season in 33 years will show the Cardinals’ hand. That’s the only barometer.
You can wish, hope, and ask for more. Just get pitching, and the rest will figure itself out. Oliver Marmol can settle in after getting sucker-punched early and often this year. Maybe he improves; he could go the way of Mike Shildt if he starts asking for more decision-making power. Be careful, Oli.
The Cardinals soaked up the retirement tour. Pujols gave the team, fanbase, and league a true thrill in 2022. Molina and Waino went out more on their shield, but that’s the way reality in sports crumbles for even the finest of athletes. Now the plan needs to shift, if not change entirely.
Mozeliak’s job should ride on it. Marmol’s job too. DeWitt Jr. can’t fire himself, but he could sell one day. All of this to say that the Cardinals need to figure out what they are and what they want to do over the next five years, and do it quickly. Don’t re-sign Paul Goldschmidt if you’re going to keep staying in the “competing” lodge.
Think hard, act swift, and earn those 3.2 million fans back. Nostalgia can be a fine drug if used correctly, but too much can get you in trouble.