If the Cardinals are serious about winning, people need to be fired
03/05/2024 15:00
The 2024 season has started off a lot better than the 2023 season did for the Cardinals. But that's not saying much.
Entering the weekend series against the White Sox, the Cardinals are 14-17, in fourth place in the NL Central, and 5.5 games back of first. While things have been better, the Cardinals still can't seem to break the spell of being under .500.
I don't know if this is how things will end up and honestly, it might not be likely, but to me this is eerily reminiscent of 2018 when the Cardinals fired Mike Matheny. Keep in mind that Matheny was fired while the Cardinals were still over .500 at 47-46.
We're not hearing anything about discord in the clubhouse, which is nice. But let's recall something Bill DeWitt said after Matheny was canned.
"In some places a winning record, or even .500 is acceptable. Not with this city, not with this franchise, not with its history, and not with the fans."
It's hard to believe it, but the Cardinals had missed the playoffs two years in a row at the time and yet were still in a better place than they are now. But after a 91-loss season in 2023 and their repeated struggles to stay close to .500, part of me thinks he might be singing a similar tune at a certain point.
Cardinals baseball is not what it once was. The product on the field and its performance have deteriorated over the years. After so many great seasons, the Cardinals are now a laughingstock. People aren't even coming to games anymore. Ticket sales are way down.
I can't imagine DeWitt is happy about it. But if he's serious about getting fans in the stands, making money, and winning, he's going to have to fire some people.
Time for a change
There are a lot of things wrong with the Cardinals right now. Firing people won't fix everything, but it's something that needs to happen if DeWitt wants butts in the seats at Busch Stadium.
But who needs to go? Who should DeWitt start with? And at what point does he decide enough is enough?
I would say that if by the All-Star break the Cardinals are still under .500, change will occur. For starters, I think Turner Ward should be let go. Whatever he's doing with this offense is not working. On paper, it's too good of an offense to be last in baseball in home runs, not with Paul Golschmidt, Nolan Arenado, Willson Contreras, Nolan Gorman, Lars Nootbaar, Brendan Donovan, Jordan Walker, and Masyn Winn.
There are simply too many stars for this team to be so bad offensively, and it's really time to consider shaking things up. But Ward isn't the only one who needs to go.
I know Oli Marmol was extended in the spring, a decision I still do not agree with. But if things don't get any better, it's going to be time for a fresh voice in the dugout. I get that the players seem to like him, but at a certain point, the status quo won't suffice.
Marmol's in-game decisions are simply baffling. He relies too heavily on analytics and gives too many "scheduled" days off to his best players. If you want to win, that's not the right approach.
It's time for somebody who knows how to manage, is a proven winner, and does not have ties to the Cardinals' organization. When the offseason comes, it would be nice to see the Cardinals give somebody like Alex Cora, Terry Francona, Joe Maddon, or Buck Showalter a chance.
Finally, if the Cardinals miss the playoffs again or finish under .500, the next man that needs to go is John Mozeliak. Yes, he acts according to DeWitt and it's DeWitt who controls the budget, but Mozeliak is responsible for the Randy Arozarena and Adolis Garcia trades. He's responsible for standing pat at multiple trade deadlines while hoarding certain prospects until they flame out.
If anybody's approach isn't working, it's his. Fans are tired of him serving up his usual air sandwich in interviews, and he's just too stubborn to change. This year should be his last chance to get it right.
