The Collapse Of The Cardinal Way

The “Cardinal Way” was once seen as the organization’s guide to success. The team had lots of success across many decades following this philosophy. Despite the game-changing, the Cardinals clung to this way of thinking and continued to succeed. However, in recent years, the Cardinals haven’t had a lot of success. The team seems poised to miss the postseason for a second consecutive year. It’s safe to say that the “Cardinal Way” has been falling apart.

Weird And Questionable Things Happened In The Organization

When things fall apart in sports, it doesn’t just abruptly. It’s normally a slow and gradual process and weird things tend to happen. This goes beyond the Cardinals’ lack of postseason success in recent years. Despite a successful run, the team shocking firing of manager Mike Shildt after the 2021 season. Didn’t see that one coming. Franchise legend Yadier Molina seemingly decided to check out during the 2022 season. Very weird and abnormal to me. Then there was St. Louis replacing the nine-time Gold Glove winner Molina with Willson Contreras. Contreras never has won a Gold Glove in his career. This wasn’t on my bingo card. This season, there was the dysfunctional yet strange call up of prospect Jordan Walker. Not something I expected from this organization.

As you notice, there is a pattern of escalation. The Cardinals front office has been consistently making weird and questionable decisions. It was only a matter of time before it started to affect the on-field product. It reached a crescendo in 2023 which has bled into this season as well.

The Lack Of Success In Player Development

At one point, St. Louis routinely turned unknown prospects into solid players sometimes stars. Opposing teams used to fear trading with the Cardinals for that very reason. Player development was seen as one of the main pillars of the “Cardinal Way.” However, in recent years, St. Louis has done a poor job handling young talent. Nolan Gorman, Tommy Edman, Dylan Carlson, and Lars Nootbaar are just a few of many young players whose development stalled. Recently, Jordan Walker’s development hasn’t looked promising and the jury is still out on Masyn Winn. Other prospects like Randy Arozarena, Tyler O’Neill, Adolis Garcia, and Lane Thomas have had success on other teams. Player development used to be a major strength for the St. Louis Cardinals, however, it’s now become a glaring weakness in recent years.

Many Free Agents Busts

Every team has free-agent signings they regret. The key is not having too many. Unfortunately, St. Louis has signed a lot of free agents who ended up being busts. Players like Brett Cecil, Andrew Miller, Steven Matz, Dexter Fowler, Mike Leake, and Carlos Martinez all come to mind. St. Louis’s prized free agent signing last offseason, Sonny Gray has been mediocre this season. The Cardinals’ lack of success in the free agent market is another reason why the “Cardinal Way” has collapsed.

The Cardinals Have Lost Their Edge

The “Cardinal Way” was once seen as the gold standard in all of baseball. However, the lack of player development, recent postseason success, questionable trades, and free-agent signings have shown that the “Cardinal Way” has collapsed. St. Louis has lost the edge it once had over the 29 other teams in the league. The “Cardinal Way” has been falling apart for years and the team decided to ignore it. This resulted in the nightmare that was the 2023 season and mediocrity this year. It’s no wonder that Busch Stadium isn’t packed anymore and fan frustration has become venomous.

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