After another tough loss, Oli Marmol's Cardinals hit a new low

This was supposed to be a bounceback year for the Cardinals. One year after finishing in last place in the NL Central for the first time in the 30-year history of the division, St. Louis was projected to be back in the mix for a division title. We can't yet rule out that possibility, but after another loss on Monday to fall to 5-6, the early returns are not looking good.

The Cardinals have been one of the most consistently-good franchises in baseball for nearly their entire existence. The team hasn't finished in last since the 1990 season, when they were still members of the NL East. To give that some perspective, the last time the Cardinals were in the division cellar, the Brewers played in the AL East and the Astros were still in the NL West. Only five current members of the Cardinals roster were even born yet.

This does not appear to be the year to mess around in the NL Central. The Pirates are 9-2 and tied with the Yankees for the best record in the league. The Brewers are 6-3, and the Cubs and Reds are just a half-game back at 6-4. Then there are the Cards, who are the only team under .500.

The mood would be different Tuesday if a two-run, game-tying rally in the 9th last night had resulted in a win instead of a 10th-inning loss, but at the end of the day, every team's record speaks for itself, and the Cardinals have to face the reality that they're just not a good baseball team right now.

The Cardinals are not showing signs of progress after a rough 2023 season

The Cardinals are an aging team, and not enough was done this offseason to provide hope for the future. The team's two biggest stars, Nolan Arenado (32) and Paul Goldschmidt (36) have one homer between them in 86 at-bats. 36-year-old Lance Lynn was one of the most notable signings this offseason, and he's been perfectly average, pitching to a 4.15 ERA in less than nine innings across two starts. The other, Sonny Gray (34), has been on the shelf with a hamstring injury, though he's scheduled to make his season debut Tuesday.

Tyler O'Neill, who struggled with injuries and clashed with manager Oli Marmol, was shipped to Boston for two minor leaguers in a move that was seen by fans as addition by subtraction, but he leads the league in OPS and is tied with Mookie Betts for the league lead in homers with five. Speaking of Marmol, he was inexplicably given a two-year extension in March after guiding his team to a last-place finish. Somewhere, Mike Matheny and Mike Schildt are shaking their heads in disgust.

The coup de grace to a rough first two weeks of the season occurred on Sunday, when the Cardinals earned the dubious distinction of being the first and only team to lose to the Marlins this season, and they did it in convincing fashion, at home, by a score of 10-3.

It's a long season, and there's still time for the Cards to turn things around. They haven't yet played a division opponent, and won't until April 19th when the Brewers come to town. With a division that seems to be improved across the board, though, and an offseason that has so far been a bust, it might get worse before it gets better.