It’s time for actual change in St. Louis.
The 2023 St. Louis Cardinals were one of the worst teams in the majors, going 71-91 and missing the postseason. John Mozeliak vowed to improve that offseason and did just that, primarily adding to a starting rotation that needed major reinforcements.
The additions of Sonny Gray, Lance Lynn, and Kyle Gibson have helped, but let’s not act as if their 4.49 rotation ERA, good for 23rd in the majors as of this writing, is good enough. Judging by their 68-68 record, it clearly isn’t good enough.
Barring a miracle, the Cardinals are going to miss out on the postseason for a second straight year, which isn’t something that Cardinals fans are used to. Things looking as bleak as they have lately have Cardinals fans barely even showing up to their home games at Busch Stadium.
If we’re being real, it’s hard to blame Cardinals fans for not showing up. The team has played uninspired baseball for a while now, and they’re doing that with one of the oldest rosters in the league – not so promising for the future.
Cardinals want change, and according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today, the lack of attendance could be what sparks actual change this offseason.
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Cardinals fans could force actual change by not showing up to Busch Stadium
“The five smallest crowds at Busch Stadium III have all come within the past week, which could force Cardinals’ ownership to hit the free-agent market this winter after yet another disappointing season,” Nightengale wrote.
Not only is this likely to be their second straight season without meaningful October baseball, but assuming they don’t make it to the postseason, this will be their fourth straight year without a single postseason win. The Cardinals haven’t won a postseason game since 2020, and haven’t won a postseason series since 2019. For a team that prides itself on winning each and every year, their play for the last half-decade has not been good enough.
Cardinals fans are sending a message by not packing Busch Stadium like they usually do, and that sudden shift could be what gets ownership to get serious.
It’s probably unrealistic to expect the Cardinals to enter the Juan Soto and Corbin Burnes sweepstakes, but what if they dipped into the next tier? Can they consider different star hitters like Pete Alonso or Christian Walker? What about looking at guys like Max Fried or Blake Snell for rotation help? Splurging on game-changing players could be what gets these fans to buy back in.
Gray is a good example of the Cardinals spending money meaningfully, but even with Lynn and Gibson exceeding the minimal expectations they entered the season with, the Cardinals could’ve and should’ve done more than bring those aging veterans in. Perhaps this season going the way it has, especially with attendance, could get the Cardinals to make more meaningful additions.
