The St. Louis Cardinals are set to miss the playoffs for the second consecutive season. Following the retirement announcement of a veteran front office member, Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak suggested that further changes in management are on the horizon.
On Sunday, Mozeliak shared with KMOX radio, “I definitely believe we need to make some internal changes because we’re not where we need to be, and we need to get back on track.
Last week, the Cardinals announced that Gary LaRocque, their longtime director of player development and assistant general manager, will be retiring. LaRocque has managed the Cardinals’ farm system for the past 12 seasons and has been with the organization since 2008.
During his tenure, LaRocque contributed to the development of several standout players. However, in recent years, player development has been less successful. First-round draft picks such as Nolan Gorman, Jordan Walker, Dylan Carlson, and Dakota Hudson have either not met expectations or have been traded to other teams. The success of other recent first-round picks remains uncertain.
The Cardinals are on track to miss the playoffs for the second consecutive year. Although they have already surpassed their win total from 2023, finishing in last place remains a possibility as they are only 3.5 games clear of the bottom spot.
Fan frustration is evident in the lower attendance figures. The team is averaging 35,807 fans per game, which still places them in the top 10 for average attendance in the league. However, this is the lowest attendance for the organization in a non-pandemic year since 1997 and also the lowest at Busch Stadium III.
Cardinals president Bill DeWitt Jr. addressed the attendance issue earlier this season.
I find it amusing when people suggest that not attending games will send a message to the owners, DeWitt Jr. remarked on the Scoops Sports Network Podcast in May. It’s a bit illogical. The revenue we generate is reinvested into the team. It’s all business, and we aim to maximize revenue to invest back into the team.”
Potential for Additional Changes
While management changes in the Cardinals’ front office seem imminent, there could also be changes in the dugout. Oliver Marmol, now in his third season as manager, received a contract extension this past offseason to stay through 2026. At that time, Mozeliak expressed confidence in Marmol.
As we look ahead to 2024, we know things need to change, but I’m encouraged by what I see from Marmol as a young manager, Mozeliak stated. “He’s well-organized, well-prepared, and gets a lot out of his players.”
Despite the extension, Marmol’s performance in 2024 hasn’t been markedly different, and he appears to be under scrutiny.
Mozeliak has overseen the Cardinals’ baseball decisions since 2007 and is the second-longest-tenured front office head in baseball, behind Brian Cashman of the New York Yankees. While there’s no indication that Mozeliak is on the hot seat, he seems to be leading the effort for front office changes.
Looking towards the future, we will be implementing some changes, Mozeliak said on Sunday.
He added that the process of identifying new front office personnel has begun. “We’re starting the process of interviewing candidates, and we hope to have new leadership in place within the next couple of months so we can continue moving forward, Mozeliak explained.
Cardinals vice president and general manager Mike Girsch, who has been with the team since 2007, is entering the final year of his contract in 2025. Randy Flores, who has managed the team’s scouting since 2015, signed a multi-year extension in 2022 along with Girsch.
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