4 Cardinals offseason mistakes so far, and how to fix them

The Cardinals still have much remaining on their offseason wishlist post-Winter Meetings. What moves can still be made for the club? 

John Mozeliak, Cardinals president of baseball operations, completed his primary goal for the offseason: replacing Yadier Molina. St. Louis signed free agent catcher Willson Contreras to a 5-year $87.5 million contract.

With the move, the Cards replaced the legendary catcher in Molina and upgraded the offensive production they get from the position. St. Louis has a bat in Contreras to safely put in the lineup behind Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado. The Cards have seemingly sacrificed defense for offense, and after failing to get run production during the NL Wild Card in 2021, this will be a welcome opportunity.

This must not be the only move the Cardinals make this offseason. The team still needs pitching, veteran middle-infield help, bench help, and a designated hitter.

Cardinals have yet to sign a true ace

While his asking price of seven years and close to $200 million doesn’t appeal to Mozeliak, it would still be intriguing for the Cardinals front office.

The lefty pitched in 31 games for the San Fransisco Giants in 2022, compiling a 14-8 record.  He threw 237 strikeouts over 178 innings. After so much turmoil with the pitching staff over the past two seasons, a consistent innings-eating strike thrower would be a welcome addition to the starting rotation.

FanSided MLB Insider Robert Murray wrote that while there is a need for Rodon in St. Louis, the asking price will be the factor in the Cardinals not signing the free agent.

It would be great to see Rodon take a discount to come to an organization where he would likely succeed. He would tap into an organization with a fantastic defense behind him in Nolan Arenado, Tommy Edman, and Paul Goldschmidt. This season is a turning point for the Cardinals pitching staff, as it is the final season for Adam Wainwright. This will be the final season on the current contract of Miles Mikolas. Jack Flaherty and Jordan Montgomery are entering their final arbitration seasons, making them free agents. Steven Matz has dealt with several injuries and is the only starter signed after this season.

Getting an arm like Rodon could help the Cardinals long-term, and it would be ideal to see the team take that chance. While Mozeliak will not likely make this move, the team could consider other free agents like Nathan Eovaldi, Corey Kluber, or Jordan Lyles.