5 moves to make the Cardinals World Series champions

What moves should the St. Louis Cardinals make to guarantee a World Series win in 2022?

While we wait for the MLB owners and players union to agree on a new collective bargaining agreement, it’s fun to think about what moves a team can make to become World Series champions.

As we hope for a truncated Spring Training and for the regular season to start with no hiccups while waiting on that new CBA, Cardinals fans can speculate on some moves that will bring the organization its 12th World Series championship.

After a tumultuous 2021 season haggard by a wide range of pitching issues as well as a string of bad luck, getting pitching with the proven goods will be important. They will need healthy, effective pitching. The pitching can be starting or relief. Just as long as they have the goods and fans won’t feel a sense of panic about what that one pitcher will do if he’s brought in.

Cardinals are several moves away from a World Series

Over the past few seasons, the Cardinals have had a number of pitchers that fill that role of panic inducement. In 2021, though, that sense of panic was amplified as they lost their ace, Jack Flaherty, due to an oblique issue as well as issues that came from overcompensating.

Their closer for much of the season, Alex Reyes, earned All-Star honors for his start to the 2021 season. Once he returned from the All-Star break and the calendar changed to August, Reyes hit a wall and lost the closing job. While Reyes was used situationally during the last few games of the season, former manager Mike Shildt put Reyes in a terrible situation during the NL Wild Card game against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Reyes brought an end to the Cardinals season in the tenth inning of that Wild Card game, serving up a walk-off home run to Chris Taylor.

It’s unclear what role Reyes will have with the team in 2022 with new manager Oli Marmol. Rumors were floating that he could end up as a starter. It will be interesting to see where Marmol and pitching coach Mike Maddux will place their trust in the once-promising pitcher. Whether he’s a starter or mid-reliever, Reyes will have a lot of trust to re-gain once baseball activities return.

Let’s take a look at some moves the Cardinals can make to get their 12th World Series championship in 2022.