The St. Louis Cardinals are one month into the season, and it’s been difficult — if not downright impossible — to make any bold declarations about this team.
Like most of you, Cardinals fans, I have plenty of questions about this year’s squad. Is the pitching sustainable? Will the offense come around? How much of an impact can the returns of Tommy Edman, Dylan Carlson and Keynan Middleton bring?
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But the obvious early theme revolves around the fan base’s strong feelings toward the front office. We’ll touch on that and explain some of the roster and team decisions in April.
Let’s get to it.
In your eyes, how does Jordan Walker being optioned in 2024 compare to him being optioned around the same time last year? There seem to be more similarities than differences, and it’s difficult to see for a second time. — Amir A.
There are definitely similarities between Walker’s option this year and in 2023 — and I’m not talking about the nearly identical date of the transactions. When looking at Walker’s batted ball profile, his high ground-ball rate and free-swinging on pitches low and outside the zone mirror much of what the Cardinals wanted him to improve on last season. To Walker’s credit, he made those changes last year and saw ample success. But he’s reverted to old habits, and time in Memphis should serve him better in the long run.
I think this year’s option is different. Last year, Walker’s option was two-fold. While there were concerns over his long-term production based on his offensive profile, Walker was one of the club’s most effective hitters at the time of his demotion last year. But the Cardinals had a significant jam in the outfield and had no avenue to play Walker (or any of the four remaining outfielders) regularly. This was during a season-defining skid, and St. Louis felt pressure to alleviate some of that outfield congestion. Walker was the casualty.
This year, one look at Walker’s numbers (.155/.239/.259, zero home runs) will tell you this was probably the right move. Walker is just 21 and his ceiling remains high. He remains an integral part of this club’s future. A few weeks in Memphis fixing his swing in a lower-stakes environment is best for both him and the team.
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The Athletic just ranked the top 10 front offices in MLB as voted on by 40 major-league executives. I was surprised the Cardinals front office didn’t so much as receive a single fifth-place vote. Why do you think that is? — Chris M.
What’s your reaction to the Cardinals’ front office getting no votes in The Athletic’s survey story on the top front offices? — John S.
The Cardinals’ front office did not receive a single vote (when asked to pick one to five) in the poll of 40 current and former front-office people. This is quite an indictment, is it not? — Bob C.
I was initially surprised that none of our 40 major-league executives thought the Cardinals’ front office was worthy of at least a No. 5 vote in our MLB Front Office Poll. But upon further reflection, why would the Cardinals get a nod? President of baseball operations John Mozeliak is fresh off the worst season of his decorated tenure. The Cardinals haven’t won a playoff series since 2019. St. Louis has been on the slower side of baseball’s latest modernization era, a far fall for an organization that essentially transformed drafting and player development strategies in the early 2000s.
Historically, the Cardinals have been an insular organization that takes pride in tradition. That’s not necessarily a bad thing — they are one of baseball’s most historic franchises for a reason. And it would be silly to argue over Mozeliak’s overwhelming career success: 15 consecutive winning seasons is impressive, especially when tanking and rebuilding have become such common routes throughout the league. Yet there’s no denying St. Louis has found themselves steps behind teams like the Los Angeles Dodgers, Tampa Bay Rays and Atlanta Braves (the top three organizations as voted in the aforementioned poll).
There are various advancements the Cardinals need to make. Player development ranks at the top of that list, and could explain why Chaim Bloom was brought in before the season as a special advisor to Mozeliak. It’s fair to question internal player evaluation as well, given the recent list of former Cardinals who have gone on to success with other organizations. St. Louis used to be considered one of the most innovative front offices in baseball. Now it appears they’ve fallen behind the times.
Do you get the sense that members of the front office understand their present predicament in terms of fan apathy and their place in the sport? Those empty seats are not going to fill themselves — Andrew Y.
Do you think the fan base’s relationship with ownership and John Mozeliak is repairable? Obviously winning cures all, but the tension between the decision-makers and the fans feels more potent than ever. — Matthew C.
Each year we watch the Cards slide further away from greatness — is there any leverage fans have to change ownership or management? — Michael B.
“Patience” has been a common theme for Mozeliak and team president Bill DeWitt III. The message can come across as tone-deaf and tiresome to fans, but it’s the only message the organization can truly relay. They have strong poker faces but don’t be fooled — ownership and Mozeliak are well aware of the fan base’s disapproval, and they’re feeling the heat. Both parties are well aware the only thing that can bring back fans’ trust in the team is winning (it’s true, winning really does fix everything), but you can’t lock up a division in April or May. Therefore, the organization is left preaching patience.
Mozeliak essentially works for two parties: ownership and the fan base. Cardinals ownership believes Mozeliak is the right person to lead the team. That sentiment has never wavered, and it’s not wavering now. But the fans aren’t as sold on that opinion, and they’ve already started making that clear. The official attendance at Busch Stadium will suggest close-to-capacity crowds, but the turnstiles will tell a different story. In-person attendance has taken a noticeable hit, and the only thing that will change that is a convincing on-field product. That will take time to establish — and that’s assuming the Cardinals play to their full potential.
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The DeWitts pride themselves in Busch Stadium attendance reaching 3 million each season. It’s a staple of their success, along with their regional sports network partnership and the revenue the organization receives from that. With the future of Diamond and Bally Sports unclear next season, the Cardinals can’t afford to gamble with their attendance. This is the leverage fans have in demanding a better product.
The path to uniting the fan base with the front office once more is simple. Barring an (unlikely) major change in the upper levels of the organization, the only thing that will fix the fan disconnect in St. Louis is winning.
(Photo of Jordan Walker: Sean M. Haffey / Getty Images)
