Nolan Arenado takes partial blame for Cardinals struggles, but not enough
Nolan Arenado takes some of the blame for the St. Louis Cardinals’ terrible start. But given his struggles, it doesn’t seem he’s taking enough responsibility.
Nolan Arenado spoke with MLB.com’s John Denton before Tuesday’s game with the Los Angeles Angels, on the heels of the team’s rough first month of the season.
Denton and Arenado talked about the horrible start the Cardinals have had, compiling a 10-19 record. The worst start in 50 years.
And in doing so, the All-Star third baseman shouldered at least some of the blame for the start to the 2023 season, saying that he needed to be better.
#STLCards start third baseman Nolan Arenado just now: “I know our pitching has been kind of getting criticized the most, but as an offense, we weren't very good either. So, I think we need to be better.”
— John Denton (@JohnDenton555) May 2, 2023
For Arenado to say he thinks the offense needs to improve feels like an understatement. Arenado is slashing .237/.285/.316 with an OPS of .601. In 28 games, he has three doubles, two home runs, 11 runs, 14 RBI, and eight walks, and he’s struck out 26 times.
In fairness, Arenado needs to get better.
#STLCards star 3B Nolan Arenado: “We’ve got five months left. Sometimes, it feels like life or death out here because the expectations are always so high, but there's so much season left. It's hard to comprehend why people are reacting the way they're reacting, but I get it.”
— John Denton (@JohnDenton555) May 2, 2023
Cardinals need Nolan Arenado to lead charge for turnaround
Expectations are always high for the Cardinals. The fan base expects to win. This start isn’t anything they are used to seeing. Arenado said it’s hard to comprehend the reaction to the rough start. Arenado not comprehending it seems more incomprehensible. He’s been with the Cardinals long enough to know the expectations.
Yes, there is a lot of baseball left to be played. But the team doesn’t seem to show urgency. They look flat. They look like they aren’t having fun. They look like they are struggling, mightly. They look like they need a boost. But instead of acknowledging this with action, manager Oli Marmol and the team responded that it was just a bad month. They will keep working to improve.
Arenado’s play does fall into the noted lack of urgency. But, Arenado told Fox 2 News in St. Louis Tuesday that if the team won, he wouldn’t worry about his struggles. He acknowledged that because of all the losses, he does feel worse for not playing his part.
He expressed concerns about being disconnected from his mechanics and a need to adjust his timing. He said he expects to fix this and is working to improve.
Tuesday’s game hasn’t been a good start for Arenado. He’s 0-for-2 with a walk. He ground into a double play in the bottom of the sixth.
Arenado and the Cardinals need some urgency, now.
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