The St. Louis Cardinals made a big move last week when they signed veteran catcher Willson Contreras to a five-year, $87.5 million deal.
St. Louis moved swiftly to acquire their new catcher, and now have Yadier Molina’s successor in the fold.
While this is a rare type of move for the Cardinals, given that they stepped out of their comfort zone to sign a high-profile free agent, there are still some issues that fans have with the front office.
The club’s owner, Bill DeWitt Jr., has often stated that the Cardinals can’t compete with the big-market teams such as the New York Mets in terms of spending, but one Cardinals fan discovered the truth behind that sentiment, revealing that it is nothing more than a false narrative.
FYI: Don’t let anyone tell you Cardinals ownership “can’t compete with the spending of big market teams.” Big difference between “can’t” spend and “won’t” spend. #STLCards https://t.co/HPNPd4NsCx pic.twitter.com/NO8pfATj5c
— That's A Winner Podcast (@ThatsAWinnerPod) December 11, 2022
Cardinals Fan Reveals Truth About Free Agency
While New York is obviously a much bigger market than St. Louis, the Cardinals do have the luxury of playing beyond their market size, as well as spending a little bit more than teams that don’t play in bigger-market cities.
That’s where DeWitt’s false narrative comes from.
The Cardinals have more financial flexibility that they would like to admit.
And yes, DeWitt does in fact make more money than Steve Cohen, the owner of the Mets.
This idea that they can’t spend as much as the Mets is false.
It’s not that DeWitt can’t spend the money.
It’s that he won’t.
And this is what has Cardinals fans so frustrated every offseason.
Funds may not be unlimited, but the Cardinals front office isn’t in any position to say that the team can’t compete with the big spenders.
NEXT: Yadier Molina Received High Praise From New Cardinals Catcher