Why the Cardinals need an impact acquisition this winter

Catcher, outfield, shortstop, whatever, make it big.

Forget pitching, Cardinals. Add some offense.

It doesn’t get more simple than that for the St. Louis beloved baseball team this winter: Improve on what you had in 2022 or prepare for a similar result next year.

You can’t rest your winning time laurels on Nolan Arenado and Paul Goldschmidt, two studs who can gather votes for or win the MVP, and still see their team drop out of the first round. Play the cards a little differently, and the Cardinals could have made it to the World Series this year just like the Philadelphia Phillies did.

Ask yourself what’s been the issue for STL these past few years? Pitching hasn’t been a problem. Look at the 2019 exit versus Washington, 2020 exit versus San Diego, 2021 exit versus Los Angeles, and this fall’s quick dismissal by Philly. What do you see in common? A nagging inability to get a BIG HIT when needed.

Arenado and Goldschmidt went missing against Philly. I’m sorry, but warning track flies don’t fucking count, exit velocity chuggers. You either or you don’t at this level. No one cheered up their Adam Wainwright late season letdown by saying he threw 2/3 strikes during his rough starts.

The Cardinals have a problem scoring runs when they truly need one, especially in the playoffs. It was so bad, Jeff Albert felt the heat from fans was at least good enough reason to add for his exit. The fans in this town are relentless, and that could happen after a five-game losing streak or the first loss after a ten-game win streak. In a game that sucks up 162 nights of people’s lives, tempers flare and emotions are as red as the seats at Busch.

Look, I’m not here to list out probable names and talk about chances. We’ve hit the points and positions. Trading for Willson Contreras only ISN’T enough. He’s a decent catcher, but the team needs more than his bat lets on. Sean Murphy or Christian Vazquez are very good and decent, respectively, options. But do they change this team from a semi-playoff competitive to a for-sure contender? Maybe if a few things fall int place.

You can’t rest your 2023 weight on Jordan Walker’s bat. He’s not ready for that, much less a starting job. Same for Dylan Carlson, Tommy Edman, Nolan Gorman, and Lars Nootbaar. Tyler O’Neill fanatics can lay bets on his 2023 rebound chances, but it’s not a smart bet right now. Read the odds and tell me different. Juan Yepez could break out big time next year; maybe he doesn’t.

The Cardinals need a true sure thing. If that comes down to Trea Turner or Carlos Correa, a pair of lineup-supersizing talents, then John Mozeliak better steal Bill DeWitt Jr.’s checkbook. This team will go nowhere further than they did this past season with a moderate upgrade. They need a splash.

Get a catcher and an extra bat. Get a shortstop. Get something that can produce a big moment in October, when your kings are possibly slumping and can’t carry the team on their shoulders.

If the Cardinals just wish to keep contending and stay in the fight, they can acquire a catcher and some low-hanging fruit. That will put them in good position for the divisional battle, but it will alienate them on the larger front. I’m not making this shit up.

Look at the stats. It was Gorman and Yepez who notched the only RBI in the NL Wildcard Round. That was it! THREE RUNS from your rookies! Come on.

I don’t think they’ll sign Turner or Correa, if I was betting on it. They have spent a good amount of money and will spend more, but it’s a bigger increase for them to climb over the Dodgers, Braves, Mets, and Phillies. They’ve been denied by two of those teams in the postseason during the past four years.

Do something big, or stay ordinary.

Get busy living outside the box, or remain satisfied with a hopeful playoff roster. The veterans are slowly aging out. The rookies are arising. Now is the time to acquire that last big piece. Will they? Ask the experts.