Cardinals targeting ways to improve after 2023 season

This story was excerpted from John Denton’s Cardinals Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

For the first time since 2018, the Cardinals found themselves on the outside looking in as the MLB playoffs started on Tuesday. Maybe the only thing that made that reality even more painful was seeing so many players with Redbirds ties in starring roles for playoff teams.

Lefty Jordan Montgomery, who helped stabilize the Cardinals rotation for the 2022 run to the playoffs, pitched a Game 1 gem for the Rangers. Former Cardinals World Series champion and 2022 bench coach Skip Schumaker, the top candidate for the National League Manager of the Year Award, led his Marlins into their first-round playoff series. As former Cards closer Jordan Hicks was throwing a scoreless inning for the Blue Jays, former St. Louis outfield prospects Randy Arozarena and Adolis García were squaring off for the Rays and Rangers, respectively.

As for the Cardinals, they have already gone to work on trying to fix a season that saw them lose 91 games and finish in last place in their division for the first time in 33 years. Manager Oliver Marmol said the down season will serve as a galvanizing force to bring on change to the club for 2024.

“[The players] are furious and embarrassed as to what happened this year and in no way ever want to repeat it,” Marmol said. “That goes for myself and every player who will be returning. I look forward to this offseason. It’ll be important and we can’t mess it up.”

As the team’s 71-91 season would suggest, a lot didn't go right in 2023. Here is a look back at some of the highs and lows for the Cards:

Defining moment: By June 2, the Cardinals had clawed to within 25-32 and they took an early 5-0 lead on the then-first-place Pirates. However, that lead devolved into a 7-5 loss when Andre Pallante surrendered two runs and Giovanny Gallegos gave up two home runs. From there, the Cards were swept by the Pirates, and they never recovered.

What we learned: Thought to be thin on pitching going into the season, the Cardinals, in fact, proved to be woefully without difference-making arms. They passed on a trade for Pablo López and declined to sign free-agent starters Michael Wacha and Sonny Gray or relievers Andrew Chafin and Matt Moore. Ultimately, they finished with baseball’s 24th-ranked ERA (4.79) -- with starters (5.07, 26th) and relievers (4.47 ERA, just 36 of 64 in save opportunities) sharing equally in the blame.

Best development: Jordan Walker, the top prospect in the Cardinals farm system heading into the season, per MLB Pipeline, successfully made the jump from Double-A to the big leagues and showed that he belonged. He opened his career with a 12-game hit streak at 20 years old, and later added 17- and 12-game hitting streaks. The future is incredibly bright for the 6-foot-6, 245-pound Walker, who hit .276 with 16 home runs and 51 RBIs in 117 games.

Area for improvement: Asked where his club will train its focus this offseason to potentially improve in 2024, team president John Mozeliak left no doubt. “Pitching, pitching, pitching,” he said. But will the Cardinals have enough resources to sign three starting pitchers and also address a leaky bullpen? It could be costly -- both in terms of free-agent dollars and young talent in trades.

On the rise: Simply put, the Cardinals are a dramatically different team with closer Ryan Helsley healthy. The season completely fell apart when Helsley missed 2 1/2 months with a forearm strain. After he returned, Helsley closed out seven of eight save opportunities and he pitched on back-to-back days three times.

Team MVP: Nolan Arenado's season wasn't up to his lofty standards -- offensively and defensively -- but he was still the team’s only All-Star and its leader in RBIs with 93.