Marmol and Mozeliak aren’t helping matters, but the Cardinals have some serious long-term worries.
Frankly, St. Louis Cardinals fans have reason to be dissatisfied with both manager Oli Marmol and president of baseball operations John Mozeliak since the All-Star break and, more specifically, the trade deadline. Even after a win against the Royals on Friday night, the Cards are 5-5 in their past ten games, a dismal trend that has kept them 1.5 games out of the National League’s final wild card place.
Marmol’s decisions in the clubhouse have come under fire for the better part of the last two seasons. His lineup choices, in-game movements, and so on have all been called into doubt. That pales in contrast to Mozeliak, whom many Cardinals fans have questioned regarding free agency moves (or lack thereof), some of the organization’s deals, and, on occasion, his lack of vision.
That latter portion, however, could be the most important at this point. Because, while Cardinals supporters may seek scapegoats for any problems, the truth is that their most serious long-term concern is developing on the farm.
Cardinals farm system rankings are bigger long-term concern than management
Baseball America ($) recently revealed its revised farm system rankings, and the Cardinals dropped into the bottom third of the league, albeit barely, with the 21st-ranked system. To be sure, this isn’t a significant decline from earlier in the year, as St. Louis was only ranked 20th in the preseason rankings. To Mozeliak’s credit, he made it clear at the trade deadline that he wanted to add Tommy Pham and others without giving up top prospects in the organization.
The main concern, however, is that the Cardinals’ farm system has declined in recent years. Baseball America ranked the organization’s minor league talent as the ninth-best in baseball heading into the 2023 season.
Some will claim that the team has brought some youthful talent to the major league squad, such as Victor Scott II and Alec Burleson, among others. At the same time, in an ideal scenario, St. Louis would do so while still having the option to restock through draft picks, trades, and other means.
The Redbirds’ farm system rankings are most concerning due to the roster’s current situation. While there are several young players with potential, the team is also led by older veterans such as Paul Goldschmidt, Nolan Arenado, Lance Lynn, Kyle Gibson, and others. It’s a population that may benefit from a quick youth movement.
To be sure, there are reinforcements, as young prospects like as Tink Hence and Jordan Walker continue to pique supporters’ interest for the future. At the same time, if they want to move up through a huge deal, they lack the prospect depth to do it while still having reinforcements on the way.
How Mozeliak handles this going forward will be another watershed moment for the Cardinals. While he is the lightning rod for criticism, it is critical to consider how the farm system develops these prospects and prepares them for the next stage, as well as how depth is addressed.
