Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak spoke with members of the media (together with John Denton of MLB.com) on Monday on the GM conferences to debate the offseason forward. He addressed the staff’s price range for 2024 and touched on how he plans to revamp the beginning rotation. The manager additionally fielded questions on a training position for Yadier Molina, in addition to rumors regarding a possible entrance workplace job for former Pink Sox Chief Baseball Officer Chaim Bloom.
After ending the 2023 season with a 71-91 file, good for final place within the NL Central, there is no such thing as a denying that the Cardinals must spend in free company in the event that they hope to contend in 2024. That doesn’t imply the staff goes to spend recklessly, nonetheless, as Mozeliak stated they plan to be “prudent” with their expenditures. Extra particularly, he defined that the Cardinals will seemingly function with an identical payroll subsequent season as they deliberate to run this previous yr earlier than promoting off a number of veterans on the commerce deadline. Meaning they’ve about $44MM to work with this winter (per Denton), though one would assume they’d be keen to go barely above that quantity for the proper participant. In any case, generally the prudent transfer is to spend a bit of bit further to land one of the best free agent targets.
The Cardinals have made it clear that starting pitching is their prime precedence, and for good motive. Their starters completed with the third-worst ERA and the second-lowest strikeout charge within the Nationwide League final season, and their numbers solely obtained worse after the rotation misplaced Jack Flaherty and Jordan Montgomery on the commerce deadline.
In August, Mozeliak stated he deliberate to herald three new starters this offseason. He basically repeated that sentiment on Monday, though he specified that he’s in search of two full-time starters, plus “somebody that may possibly break up roles.” The Cardinals have already got veterans Miles Mikolas and Steven Matz penciled into the rotation for 2024. In addition they have a number of proficient younger arms ready within the wings, together with former first-round picks Zack Thompson and Matthew Liberatore, commerce deadline acquisition Drew Rom, and prime prospects Gordon Graceffo and Michael McGreevy. None of these pitchers is kind of able to be trusted with an Opening Day job on the beginning employees, however Mozeliak is hoping that at the very least a couple of of them will pitch “significant” large league innings in 2024.
There’s hardly ever such factor as an excessive amount of pitching depth, however nonetheless, if the Cardinals have been so as to add three bona fide starters this winter, they might find yourself with a logjam within the rotation. That may imply restricted alternatives for his or her younger arms, and the Cardinals aren’t going to mortgage the way forward for the rotation for short-term good points in 2024.
With that in thoughts, it’s comprehensible why Mozeliak is concerned with including a hybrid starter/reliever who may pitch within the rotation if want be however may simply step apart if a extra promising pitcher forces the difficulty. Nick Martinez is probably the most intriguing arm who suits that description, whereas different choices on the open market embrace Michael Lorenzen, Sean Manaea, Jakob Junis, and Alex Wood.
When it comes to additions past the roster, Mozeliak additionally answered questions relating to Yadier Molina, the beloved former Cardinal who is anticipated to hitch the teaching employees in 2024, and Chaim Bloom, the previous Pink Sox govt who has been connected to the Cardinals in current days. Mozeliak couldn’t provide a lot of an replace on Molina, though he confirmed that the 2 sides stay engaged in conversations in regards to the nine-time Gold Glove winner’s position subsequent season. He’s “hopeful” Molina will be a part of the group in some capability.
As for Bloom, Mozeliak largely averted the query, though he did reveal that he has had “some discussions” with people from “outdoors the group” about probably approaching as an advisor to the entrance workplace. The long-time Cardinals govt defined that he desires to have “somebody from the skin have a look at the within.” Mozeliak has been the staff’s chief baseball decision-maker since 2007, so it actually is sensible that he’s looking for a recent perspective from somebody new to the group.
