After being dusted by the Philadelphia Phillies in the National League Wild Card Series, the St. Louis Cardinals find themselves with a few holes to fill this offseason.
Gone are Albert Pujols and Yadier Molina.
President of Baseball Operations John Mozeliak made it clear that he intends to increase the team’s payroll, citing the need for a regular catcher and a middle-of-the-order bat.
This has led some to speculate that the Cards might be in on the sweepstakes for one of the top free agent shortstops.
In a recent article, Ken Rosenthal of the Athletic revealed an important update provided by Mozeliak himself.
Mozeliak stated that a catcher is still the top priority and reiterated that Tommy Edman will be the team’s starting shortstop in 2023.
Latest on the @Cardinals from Ken Rosenthal: pic.twitter.com/j1mIyEDC20
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Where Cards Stand Heading Into 2023
Of course, this does not mean that things won’t change at all.
Mozeliak mentioned that if there was a shift in the market for shortstops, the team could potentially make an adjustment.
Rosenthal also stated that Mozeliak did not rule out a veteran addition, but that such an addition would likely be a backup in the outfield for Tyler O’Neill, Dylan Carlson, and Lars Nootbaar.
The outfield is also a point of emphasis, as O’Neill and Carlson both struggled with various injuries during the season.
O’Neill also had a disappointing season after putting up MVP-caliber numbers in 2021.
But the designated hitter position is one where the Cards could upgrade.
They already have a solid in-house option in Juan Yepez, but adding somebody like Trey Mancini or Brandon Drury would give them a bona-fide power bat.
