At the onset of the offseason, St. Louis Cardinals President of Baseball Operations John Mozeliak ignited hope within the fanbase when he stated that the payroll would increase in 2023.
While it did ultimately increase, fans were led to believe that there would be a more significant increase, as teams such as the Philadelphia Phillies and New York Mets spent significant amounts of money.
Aside from signing Willson Contreras to replace Yadier Molina and bolster the offense, St. Louis has been quiet, much to the displeasure of their fanbase.
They also passed on three top starting pitchers in Carlos Rodon, Jacob deGrom, and Justin Verlander.
On Twitter, one fan expressed disappointment and stated that the Cardinals may have blown an opportunity to regain their former status as World Series contenders.
The Cardinals had a chance this off-season to make themselves legitimate WS contenders. Instead they do the bare minimum and rely on hope and luck. This is a very good team that's just missing a few pieces that they refused to add. #stlcards
— Rinedog (@Rinedog1) January 24, 2023
St. Louis has not been to the World Series since 2013.
Adding another bat and one of the frontline starting pitchers would have certainly put them in the conversation for the World Series.
Instead, as has been a common practice for years, the front office chose to trust their internal options, a practice that has consistently failed them over the years.
The Cardinals never seem to have trouble reaching the postseason, and the fact that they do it on a consistent basis is commendable.
But they are 1-9 in their last 10 postseason games and have not won a postseason series since the 2019 NLDS.
With the free agent market picked over and consistent confidence being preached in their internal talent, the Cardinals may have missed a chance to re-emerge as one of the elite franchises in Major League Baseball.
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