The Cardinals should focus more on starting pitching, not flashy potential coaching hires

John Mozeliak hasn't felt this kind of pressure in years.

Now that Major League Baseball has anointed the yearly crown to the Texas Rangers, the runway for the 2024 season can finally begin construction, Such as St. Louis Cardinals baseball and their offseason hunting season that’s about to start. How does a 71-91 team look in the spring? The Cards make money and fill seats, but the image of being a losing team doesn’t sit right with owner Bill DeWitt Jr.

But first, a note about the aging process kicking my ass with a tiny yet diligent hammer. It’s still a sore subject, but does everyone regret sitting down in a low seat after 40 once they have to get back up? Ten minutes is all it took for my knees and feet to restrict all blood flow back up top when moving was suddenly required. When I stood tall, it was if a defensive lineman or two had pummeled me deep into the Earth’s core. Older souls will say I haven’t tasted it yet, but this getting older shit is painful.

The Cardinals acquiring starting pitching sure sounds less painful. While dozens of articles fly out about Yadier Molina becoming a coach and slowly sucking the oxygen from Oliver Marmol’s job title, I’m waiting on John Mozeliak to pull his weapon and shoot. Lucas Giolito, Blake Snell, Aaron Nola, or a blend. Nola intrigues me based off his 8/1 strikeout to walk ratio alone, but each target has something to offer St. Louis that they couldn’t find this past season.

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Jordan Montgomery is a fine option, but Scott Boras can now attach playoff hero and World Series winner to his asking price. It’s like Macy’s seeing snow on the ground and bumping everything up. A combination of trades and signings could propel the Cardinals straight back into contention, but the right ones will make them true players in 2024 and beyond.

What I won’t do is write a bunch of in-depth pieces about those pitchers, at least not all of them. I already shouted to the blogger world that they should have traded for Giolito, creating an easier path to a new contract. The other arms have virtues and warning signs, just like any arm. Lance Lynn and Michael Wacha would be good ideas for retention, but Mo isn’t exactly keen on rebuilding those bridges. History is history, salted or not.

The offense is fine, as long as certain players return to their former self. People can tell me Nolan Arenado making his $30 million-plus salary is a bargain, and I will say that’s cool as long as 2023 isn’t repeated. He knows that this was a step down for him, a baseball gods humanizing moment. Paul Goldschmidt would feel the same.

The team should be careful about trading Brendan Donovan. He was their fire-starter this year in the lineup. Losing that would only give Tommy Edman more at-bats than he deserves. Dylan Carlson, Tyler O’Neill, and Alec Burleson are all potential departees, not that it’s newsworthy. Jordan Walker and Masyn Winn are going nowhere. The outfield will be composed of whoever is left and decent.

The Cardinals need to keep their heads down, hunt fast, and not let the market draw itself up before they react. Mozeliak likes to wait for the most part, letting other teams fall into a black hole first, overcommitting payroll that isn’t pure liquid. But there is no choice this winter--the Cards have painted themselves into a loud, pitching-less corner. Their bullpen will be fried without starting pitching upgrades, and their bats won’t be able to keep the bridge in one piece.

Signing 2-3 starters is WAY more important than courting and reuniting (a year later) with Yadier Molina. He can be an enforcer in the clubhouse and ramp up the spirit of the roster all he wants; starting pitching will take this team out of the 70s and back into the 90s when it comes to the win column. Get busy living-acquiring talent and going for rings-or slowly dying (competing with Steven Matzs), Mr. DeWitt Jr.

Coaches have an effect, but players win championships. Take a look at the Texas Rangers, who avenged their 2011 collapse 12 years later this week. They slowly yet efficiently put together that roster, adding bigtime pitchers whether the move worked out or not. They took risks, stepped back and understood the needs, and executed their mission. Texas isn’t going anywhere, folks. They’re like the Astros, only clean.

Mozeliak helped them finish the puzzle. He traded them Montgomery, who became the unsung pitching hero in the ALCS and World Series. The comparison isn’t exactly exact, but he was their David Freese. Can the Cardinals do what Texas did?

I sure hope so. Playoff baseball is fun, and has been *mostly* missing around here for a long time. Allow me to repeat: They have won a SINGLE NLCS game since 2013.

Their moves this winter will determine how serious they have become after one of their worst seasons in decades. How about those empty seats, Bill?