The St. Louis Cardinals are a team that typically doesn’t splurge on top free agents, with a recent exception being their new catcher, Willson Contreras, who joined the team on a five-year, $87.5 million contract.
St. Louis has reached the postseason in four consecutive years.
However, they have fallen short in the Wild Card round in each of the last three postseasons.
So naturally, fans want to see some improvement, plus some additions from the outside.
But after the San Francisco Giants spent big on shortstop Carlos Correa, it appears that the cost of contention is only getting higher, as noted by Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post Dispatch.
The corkage fee to celebrate a National League pennant is only going higher. https://t.co/QmGMn2QuiH
— Derrick Goold (@dgoold) December 14, 2022
Rising Costs
Granted, the Cardinals were never going to spend $350 million to land Correa, or any shortstop for that matter, with Tommy Edman already filling that position.
However, the Cardinals’ strategy is being tested.
This is an organization that prides itself on drafting and developing talent.
But with teams in the National League spending fortunes on free agents, it may be hard for St. Louis to continue on this path if they want to compete for a World Series title.
The Cardinals last reached the Fall Classic in 2013.
The Giants, the New York Mets, and the Philadelphia Phillies, the team that sent the Cards packing in October, have all spent hefty amounts of money.
While Cardinals owner Bill DeWitt can’t compete with the likes of Steve Cohen, more could be done to ensure that the team regains its status as a baseball powerhouse.
Signing Carlos Rodon wouldn’t hurt, but it seems unlikely that St. Louis will pursue him.
NEXT: Cardinals Fan Poses An Interesting Question About A Free Agent