The St. Louis Cardinals have made some modest adjustments to their front office, which should serve as a caution sign for John Mozeliak.
The St. Louis Cardinals have not performed as expected this season, and as a result, there will be changes in the summer. Barring a late postseason run, which would be somewhat surprising, St. Louis should expect some changes to their baseball team this winter.
Mozeliak has made some odd decisions in the recent year, such as calling up and then releasing top prospect Jordan Walker on many times, and signing manager Oli Marmol to a contract extension for reasons we still don’t understand.
“These are difficult times,” Mozeliak stated at the time (source: John Denton of MLB.com). “I still believe he understands the job, knows how to manage, and is attempting to put together the proper combination of players, but at some point, performance is required. Yes, I understand that supporters are unhappy with both myself and Oli. I don’t think anything I say here today will change that. We have to keep trying to make this work, and we recognize that if it doesn’t, individuals will be held accountable, starting with myself.”
St. Louis Cardinals front office decisions are just beginning
Marmol has made mistakes of his own, but this is not his story. Finally, Mozeliak and the Cards’ front office bear responsibility for Marmol’s failures. St. Louis is (checks notes) six games behind the New York Mets for the third and final National League Wild Card slot. As we approach mid-September, a comeback seems less likely by the day.
The Cardinals have announced that their director of player personnel, Gary LaRocque, would retire after the 2024 season. While this is a start, it is far from the answer Cardinals fans are looking for. Over the previous two weeks, St. Louis baseball fans have expressed their dissatisfaction with the drastic reduction in attendance at Busch Stadium. A winning record isn’t enough for Cardinals fans, and with good reason.
Mozeliak could come next. St. Louis recruited Chaim Bloom as an advisor, and he would be an easy replacement. In the interim, Mozeliak may remain with the organization, but not in his current position.
