Mozeliak: "Some Changes" Coming For Cardinals, But Not A Rebuild

[MrCrowesGarden]

mozeliak is very bad at his job. when will people realize this?

His job is to field winning teams while spending the least amount of money possible. He's extremely good at it. He works for Bill DeWitt, not us.

And to be DeWitt's meat shield.

[ghostrunner]

Mo deserves some slack. This is likely to be his first losing season out of 17 years. So clearly he has made some really good moves throughout his tenure.

But Alcantara, Gallen, Arozarena, and Garcia not being on the Cardinals are mistakes he has to own, and he does. We can't crush Mo for not being able to spend money he isn't allowed to spend, but he has to be better in trades. Mo will have the opportunity to prove himself this deadline and next off season to fix the rotation and bullpen.

If he doesn't, and 2024 is similar to 2023, I can't see him surviving for 2025.

I feel almost the opposite of this. I think stuff like Garcia and Arozarena and the rest is going to happen. Maybe missing on all of those guys indicates something. Hard to say. Would like to hear his thoughts on development in the org. But more concerning to me with Mo is not recognizing pitching as a real problem for multiple seasons, at the start of the season. I feel like Contreras is clearly a mistake, even if I liked it at the time. Just the wrong choice for where this club is now, which is something I'd expect him to know. I wasn't aware Contreras wouldn't be catching much as time goes on. Signing Waino for that contract was a waste of money. Singing nobody else besides him and Contreras was a big let down.

contreras is fine; actually a bright spot on this crap hole of a team. from Bernie yesterday...

After an unsettling, frustrating beginning to his St. Louis career, Contreras is rolling. It was just a matter of time. In his last 16 games he’s batting .404 with a 1.194 OPS and 11 extra–base hits. The surge has moved him up to 7th among regular MLB catchers in WAR. And his wRC+, which puts him 11 percent above average offensively, ranks 6th among regular catchers. And Contreras is above average defensively in FanGraphs’ composite defensive ratings. Did you know that Contreras has more WAR (1.4) this season than J.T. Realmuto (1.1)?

I like him. I like his bat. But if he's truly going to be catching less and less it's hard to see how it makes a lot of sense. Especially for a 5 year contract. Unless we're just settled on him as DH, in which case fine, but then we should work around that with the rest of the roster.

[Magneto2.0]

Thanks for sharing, Magneto. I think it's mostly fair, but I'd disagree with with him about saying they aren't arrogant or complacent. They very much are. I also know he's pointing to the Mets (and to some extent the Padres) about teams that spent more and aren't thriving, but recent history shows spenders win.

You're welcome. And I agree. Nobody is saying spending is the cure for all, but it definitely helps in many ways. First, it allows for you to go after high end talent through free agency. Secondly, it helps if you're a team that doesn't like parting with prospects, you now have the ability to take on bad contracts to help facilitate trades for better talent. Let's say you don't want to give up a Winn or Hence for a front line starter or an outfielder, payroll flexibility allows for you take absorb a contract the team is trying to get rid of in place of having to part with some of your better young talent. I think Mo is saying just spend with no care when fans are really saying, Dewitt needs to open the budget. We're going into the offseason knowing we have no shot at Ohanti for example. For a team that generates this much money, that should not be the case.

[jagtrader]

High end starters are risky and expensive.

How have our non-high-end starters worked out this year?

They haven’t. Someone asked why they don’t sign high end starters. That’s why. There’s a difference between eating $40 million and $160 million. They refuse to assume the larger risk.

[Magneto2.0]

Mo deserves some slack. This is likely to be his first losing season out of 17 years. So clearly he has made some really good moves throughout his tenure.

But Alcantara, Gallen, Arozarena, and Garcia not being on the Cardinals are mistakes he has to own, and he does. We can't crush Mo for not being able to spend money he isn't allowed to spend, but he has to be better in trades. Mo will have the opportunity to prove himself this deadline and next off season to fix the rotation and bullpen.

If he doesn't, and 2024 is similar to 2023, I can't see him surviving for 2025.

I feel almost the opposite of this. I think stuff like Garcia and Arozarena and the rest is going to happen. Maybe missing on all of those guys indicates something. Hard to say. Would like to hear his thoughts on development in the org. But more concerning to me with Mo is not recognizing pitching as a real problem for multiple seasons, at the start of the season. I feel like Contreras is clearly a mistake, even if I liked it at the time. Just the wrong choice for where this club is now, which is something I'd expect him to know. I wasn't aware Contreras wouldn't be catching much as time goes on. Signing Waino for that contract was a waste of money. Singing nobody else besides him and Contreras was a big let down.

contreras is fine; actually a bright spot on this crap hole of a team. from Bernie yesterday...

After an unsettling, frustrating beginning to his St. Louis career, Contreras is rolling. It was just a matter of time. In his last 16 games he’s batting .404 with a 1.194 OPS and 11 extra–base hits. The surge has moved him up to 7th among regular MLB catchers in WAR. And his wRC+, which puts him 11 percent above average offensively, ranks 6th among regular catchers. And Contreras is above average defensively in FanGraphs’ composite defensive ratings. Did you know that Contreras has more WAR (1.4) this season than J.T. Realmuto (1.1)?

I like him. I like his bat. But if he's truly going to be catching less and less it's hard to see how it makes a lot of sense. Unless we're just settled on him as DH, in which case fine, but then we should work around that with the rest of the roster.

Yep. If Herrera ends up being the everyday catcher, that's great. But that moves Contreras to the everyday DH, which handicaps how you can utilize Walker, Gorman, Yepez, etc...so something gotta give. I'm assuming guys like Yepez, Baker, Burelson will find a new home. But when O'Neill returns, that's 4 players that you'd assume they want to play everyday in Nootbaar, Carlson, O'Neill and Walker for 3 spots.

[haltz]

I think full time catchers are becoming a thing of the past. Ideally you have two guys that are competent and swing the bat OK, and hopefully one swings the bat well and brings a little versatility.

Catching every single day really takes a toll on your legs which takes a toll on your offense.

[jagtrader]

The most striking part of that interview was Mozeliak thought Nootbaar, O’Neill and Carlson could be an acceptable outfield for a contending team. Goes back to the presumption everyone will reach their top level outcome and no one will get injured despite one of those guys constantly being injured.

[Popeye_Card]

I don’t think just spending free agent money, particularly on pitchers, fixes what ails the Cardinals. They can’t develop pitchers. Every contending team fills out their rotation and bullpen with solid (and cheap) pitchers from their own system. We constantly turn out pitchers that don’t achieve or exceed their talent/stuff, in addition to drafting “safe” pitchers that also end up being duds in StL.

Fix that, and you can spend some safer money on a top-of-rotation starter or a bigger bat for the OF. But if you only spent the money, the team will still be no better than a division contender in a weak division.

[jagtrader]

It’s the same organization that was top 12 in ERA a decade running. Whatever development flaws were overcome until this season. Mikolas, Wainwright, Hudson, Matz and Pallante started 110 games last year. The team won 93 games.

[cardsfantx]

Mo deserves some slack. This is likely to be his first losing season out of 17 years. So clearly he has made some really good moves throughout his tenure.

But Alcantara, Gallen, Arozarena, and Garcia not being on the Cardinals are mistakes he has to own, and he does. We can't crush Mo for not being able to spend money he isn't allowed to spend, but he has to be better in trades. Mo will have the opportunity to prove himself this deadline and next off season to fix the rotation and bullpen.

If he doesn't, and 2024 is similar to 2023, I can't see him surviving for 2025.

I feel almost the opposite of this. I think stuff like Garcia and Arozarena and the rest is going to happen. Maybe missing on all of those guys indicates something. Hard to say. Would like to hear his thoughts on development in the org. But more concerning to me with Mo is not recognizing pitching as a real problem for multiple seasons, at the start of the season. I feel like Contreras is clearly a mistake, even if I liked it at the time. Just the wrong choice for where this club is now, which is something I'd expect him to know. I wasn't aware Contreras wouldn't be catching much as time goes on. Signing Waino for that contract was a waste of money. Singing nobody else besides him and Contreras was a big let down.

contreras is fine; actually a bright spot on this crap hole of a team. from Bernie yesterday...

After an unsettling, frustrating beginning to his St. Louis career, Contreras is rolling. It was just a matter of time. In his last 16 games he’s batting .404 with a 1.194 OPS and 11 extra–base hits. The surge has moved him up to 7th among regular MLB catchers in WAR. And his wRC+, which puts him 11 percent above average offensively, ranks 6th among regular catchers. And Contreras is above average defensively in FanGraphs’ composite defensive ratings. Did you know that Contreras has more WAR (1.4) this season than J.T. Realmuto (1.1)?

I like him. I like his bat. But if he's truly going to be catching less and less it's hard to see how it makes a lot of sense. Especially for a 5 year contract. Unless we're just settled on him as DH, in which case fine, but then we should work around that with the rest of the roster.

that's the issue, they knew he'd only be catching approx 100 games max when they signed him...which why getting a good backup to split time with was paramount.

I'm more upset with them sticking with Kiz as the backup with them knowing this

Hopefully Herrera is the real deal and they go with a 50/50 split