St. Louis Cardinals fans are riding high after the signing of former Chicago Cubs catcher Willson Contreras.
However, minutes before the deal, there was much anger within the fanbase after Jose Quintana, who had emerged as the team’s ace down the stretch, signed a two-year, $26 million deal with the New York Mets.
Even after the Contreras deal, the team still has a few holes to fill, particularly in their starting rotation.
On Twitter, Brenden Schaeffer of KMOV, a local St. Louis news station, expressed just how dangerous it can be to wait for the market to develop before making a move.
When you wait for the market to be established instead of being willing to *set* the market on the right players, Jose Quintana, a perfect fit for your team, signs with the Mets instead.
— Brenden Schaeffer (@bschaeffer12) December 7, 2022
Cards Lose Quintana To The Mets
For context, President of Baseball Operations John Mozeliak has often preached patience in free agency and at trade deadlines, citing a desire to let the market develop.
While the Cardinals landed the best catcher on the free agent market, his approach with the starting pitching market has come back to bite him.
So naturally, fans were quite frustrated when news broke of the Mets latest signing.
Fortunately, the Contreras deal turned those frowns upside down rather quickly, but that doesn’t mean that fans are necessarily going to let Mozeliak off the hook for letting Quintana walk.
The team still needs a starting pitcher to replace the left-hander.
A reunion with former Cardinal Michael Wacha, who had a bounce-back season with the Boston Red Sox, is possible.
St. Louis could also make a play for somebody like Nathan Eovaldi or Noah Syndergaard.
Fans certainly hope that after the Contreras signing, Mozeliak will get back to work quickly.
NEXT: The Cardinals Lock In Yadier Molina's Replacement