Nolan Arenado takes way too much responsibility for Cardinals 2023 struggles

2023 was a season to forget for the St. Louis Cardinals.

Picked by most to run away with the NL Central, the team instead succumbed to pitching struggles and injuries, ultimately finishing at the bottom of the division with a record of 71-91.

And perhaps no player on the roster is more eager to put 2023 behind him than star third baseman Nolan Arenado. The veteran slugger turns 33 this season. He came to St. Louis to win a title, but the Cardinals have not delivered on that promise just yet.

But even though there were many reasons as to why 2023 went south, Arenado has shouldered a ton of blame. In an interview with Katie Woo of The Athletic, Arenado discussed his 2023 season and what all went wrong.

"Early on, when I was playing bad and we were playing bad, I felt terrible. I felt like I was ruining it for everybody. I felt like my performance was really hindering this team, which it was at some points. And that part sucked," said Arenado. "I felt like I was letting a lot of people down, and that's a rough way to go about it."

Nolan Arenado reflects on St. Louis Cardinals dreadful 2023 season

Clearly, Arenado feels an extreme sense of responsibility for what went wrong for the Cardinals last year. His comments certainly insinuate that he feels like he failed individually and that his struggles alone cost the Cardinals a chance at contention.

However, he was far from the only issue hindering the team. Even with Arenado taking a step back defensively and fighting through a back injury, the Cardinals as a whole never clicked.

The main culprit for their issues was their lack of pitching. The rotation was thin and faltered quickly. By extension, the bullpen was overexposed and fell apart as well. The Cardinals were ultimately sellers at the trade deadline, giving away pieces such as Jordan Montgomery, Jordan Hicks, Chris Stratton, Jack Flaherty, and Paul DeJong.

In fact, Arenado was one of the bright spots, overcoming a rough start to ultimately be named the starting third baseman for the National League in the All-Star Game.

Still, Arenado is bound and determined to put 2023 in the rearview mirror and understands just how important 2024 is for the Cardinals.

"We have to take a huge step," said the star third baseman. "I don't think it's OK to have another bad year. When you think of the Cardinals, you think of extended greatness and constantly winning. We don't have time to not be good again."

Arenado also continually took responsibility for the disaster that was the 2023 season.

"One thing I want to share is that I'm doing everything I can to prepare to be a better player for this organization and also lead better."