Changes Ahead for the St. Louis Cardinals.
It’s been a tough couple of years for the St. Louis Cardinals. As they head into the 2024 season, the team is facing the reality of missing the playoffs for a second consecutive year. The organization is now gearing up for some significant changes in their front office and management.
In a recent interview with KMOX radio, Cardinals President of Baseball Operations John Mozeliak acknowledged the need for internal changes. **”I definitely feel like we do have to have some changes from within because we’re not where we need to be and we need to get back there,”** Mozeliak stated.
The first major move is the retirement of Gary LaRocque, the long-time director of player development and assistant general manager. LaRocque has been with the Cardinals organization for the past 12 seasons, playing a key role in developing several star players. However, in recent years, the team’s player development has been disappointing, with several high draft picks struggling to meet expectations.
**”I think as great a job as [LaRocque] did, it’s going to be a nice opportunity to welcome some change,”** Mozeliak remarked. **”I certainly look forward to the next few months and see where we end up and what that leadership looks like.”**
The Cardinals’ struggles on the field have also led to a disgruntled fan base. The team is facing a second consecutive year of missing the postseason, and while they have surpassed their 2023 win total, they are still only 3.5 games ahead of the bottom of the division. This has resulted in lower attendance, with the team averaging just 35,807 fans per game – the lowest figures for the organization in a non-pandemic year since 1997.
Cardinals president Bill DeWitt Jr. addressed the attendance concerns earlier this season, dismissing the idea of fans boycotting games to send a message to the owners. **”The thing I chuckle about is when I see sometimes comments ‘We’ve got to not show up to send a message that this isn’t acceptable to the owners.’… We try to drive as much revenue as we can, and then it gets put on the field for the most part,”** DeWitt Jr. said.
As the front office prepares for changes, the future of manager Oliver Marmol also remains uncertain. Marmol, who is in his third season as the Cardinals’ skipper, signed a contract extension this past offseason to remain through 2026. However, with no noticeable improvement in 2024, he appears to be under pressure.
Mozeliak, who has led the Cardinals’ baseball operations since 2007, seems secure in his position, but he acknowledges that changes are on the horizon. **”When I think about the future for the organization…. there’s going to be some changes,”** he noted.
The process of identifying new personnel for the front office has already begun, and Mozeliak is hopeful that the organization will have new leadership in place within the next couple of months. Meanwhile, Cardinals vice president and GM Mike Girsch is entering the final year of his contract in 2025, and the team’s scouting director, Randy Flores, recently signed a multi-year extension.
It’s clear that the Cardinals are at a crossroads, and the upcoming offseason will be crucial as they look to turn things around and regain their spot as contenders in the National League. Fans will be watching closely to see what changes the organization makes and how they impact the team’s future success.
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