John Mozeliak’s top priority for Cardinals sets offseason up for more failure

It's probably not a great sign when an MLB president acknowledges that trading the team's aging star is "Priority one, two and three," and yet... the team still can't find a deal for him.

One player takes up all three top priorities and there's still no movement on a deal? I don't even want to ask John Mozeliak what priority number four is.

All jokes aside — okay, most jokes aside — the Cards top priority doesn't need to be dealing Arenado, but I understand it. In part because he doesn't serve much purpose on a team that should look toward the future, and in part because the team can't do much else on the free agency or trade market until an Arenado deal happens.

Arenado isn't the top target he was about a decade ago, but he was still a 2.5 WAR player last year while being a slightly above-average hitter (101 OPS+, .719 OPS). If you think his downward trend the past few years will continue, I can't blame you — it might! But we're getting a little deeper into the offseason now, pitchers and coaches report in about three weeks, and there doesn't seem to be any traction at all on a trade.

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There's no use in staying patient

Mozeliak recently admitted that St. Louis is in a waiting period until an Arenado deal goes through. "Many of the Cardinals' plans to upgrade the roster have been held up by their inability to trade the 10-time Gold Glove-winning third baseman," according to John Denton of MLB.com.

If the team is well aware that nothing else can happen until Arenado's gone, then why does it seem like Mozeliak is still waiting for a better deal to come along? Just trade Arenado to one of the teams he'd waive his no-trade clause for, even if you have to basically admit a loss in the trade.

There's probably not a deal out there that is good enough to keep waiting... and waiting... and waiting. If you're hellbent on trading him, you'll need to accept a less-than-ideal trade so the team can make other moves. To me, this reads as John Mozeliak not actually wanting to make moves, and claiming he would if he only could.