The 2024 season has been a difficult one for the St. Louis Cardinals.
While they have won four of their last five series and remain alive in the playoff hunt, they still have some catching up to do. The front office also seemingly threw in the towel by letting go of trade deadline additions Tommy Pham and Shawn Armstrong.
However, instead of making improvements this coming offseason, President of Baseball Operations John Mozeliak hinted that the Cardinals may take a path that fans won't be fond of due to the uncertain future of regional sports networks and attendance issues.
"Obviously we know we are going to have an uphill climb with what the TV markets could look like moving forward, and so we are going to have our challenges," Mozeliak said. "I think our side is going to have to recalibrate a little bit and I'm still hopeful our fanbase will supports us and appreciate what we're trying to do, but I can understand their level of frustration too."
This does not mean that the Cardinals won't make moves to improve their team for 2025, but the moves they make may be unsatisfactory for fans.
If the Cardinals do take a step back from spending money on free agents, then the team could be in trouble next season, possibly facing three consecutive years out of the postseason.
And if that is ultimately the case, then attendance may continue to decline at Busch Stadium, a ballpark which used to have sellout crowds.
But it does appear that the Cardinals will be spending a little bit less money this coming offseason. They spent roughly $55 million last offseason on Sonny Gray, Kyle Gibson, Lance Lynn, Keynan Middleton, and Brandon Crawford.
This may not sit well with the fanbase, which has been hoping for improvements for several years.
We'll see how the team approaches the offseason and if they'll make any key moves.
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