St. Louis Cardinals executive John Mozeliak is ruining the team’s 2025 chances in his final season in charge.
The St. Louis Cardinals aren’t making any big moves this winter. Although John Mozeliak attended the GM Meetings and is expected to participate in the Winter Meetings in Texas, he has already set realistic expectations for the front office by shifting focus away from high-profile free agency and instead concentrating on future development.
To be fair, the team does boast a wealth of young talent, particularly Masyn Winn and Alec Burleson. If Jordan Walker can overcome his challenges, he may still fulfill the potential that made him a top prospect for the Cardinals. However, there’s no denying the reality: this team finished significantly behind the Milwaukee Brewers in the NL Central and is purposefully choosing to become less competitive this offseason.
Mozeliak is aware he’ll face tough questions from fans as spring training approaches. Cardinals supporters are among the most dedicated in baseball and expect to contend for championships every year, yet the team hasn’t made a postseason appearance since 2022. What is going on?
ohn Mozeliak let his own timeline get in the way of Cardinals success
“I think the last few years maybe we weren’t focused on where we can squeeze a little more out of the fruit, and instead we were trying to squeeze a little more for payroll. Over the past couple of years, the timing of my situation, it’s now that time to hit that reset and try to reposition ourselves to have another great run,” Mozeliak said, per The Athletic.
The most alarming part of this statement isn’t that the Cardinals are considering putting a lesser product on the field next year – though that is concerning in its own right – but that Mozeliak let his own career path get in the way of roster makeup. While Mozeliak is human, it’s surprising to hear him admit such a thing out loud, and it’s an indictment of all his work the past few years.
“Our team is not going to look all that different,” Mozeliak continued. “As we navigate the next four to eight weeks, it is going to be how can we better our club or how can we better our future? What does that look like? We are going to find pathways to give our younger players a chance to play and see what they can do.”
Chaim Bloom will take over as president of baseball operations in 2025. With that plan already in place, Bloom ought to get final say over any moves the Cardinals make this winter, or risk dealing with the consequences in a year’s time.
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