The kingdom may lose its king, but will the empire crumble? Well, not for the Cardinals. Their general manager since 2007, John Mozeliak, is set to end his run after this season. However, he sets a future course of action for the team to follow, and hence, the kingdom will not lose its shine without the king. During a recent interview, Mozeliak shared his experience of working with the Cardinals and how the team is ready to put in some surprises. So, now with his retirement nearing, will the Cardinals be able to get back to the winning note again?

Mozeliak will always be remembered for the Cardinals’ 2011 postseason run and the turnaround of their farm system. Even though the other Cardinals officials have refrained from formally referring to the upcoming season as a rebuilding year, Mozeliak has been candid about the team’s plans to reduce spending and give younger players greater playing time in 2025. The president is, thus, the pioneer in creating the supply line of talent for the Cardinals. However, highs and lows are there with Mozeliak’s resume, and recently, his botched move with Nolan Arenado is a major low.

“The one thing that we did was we tried to honor his rights to explore that didn’t happen,” said Mozeliak during his conversation with the MLB Network. Yes, Nolan Arenado was keen to explore new destinations. The botched moves with the Astros, Dodgers, and Red Sox, but made things non-working. Ultimately, Arenado ended up with the Cardinals. While time will be the answer to whether Arenado bears any fruit or not, Mozeliak’s words indicate a potential marriage between the two. The Cardinals are leaving past these controversies and are more focused on enhancing their offense in the lineup.

Mozeliak is putting things in place

With an 83-79 record at the end of the 2024 season, the Cardinals came in second in the NL Central. They failed to qualify for the playoffs. The major reason is their lackluster offense. “We need some of the young players to step up offensively, guys like Nolan Gorman and Jordan Walker. If these guys can get going, the team would score more runs,” Mozeliak added. For reference, in the majors, the Cardinals have the fewest home runs (21). The other 29 teams are standing at an average of 32 HRs last year. 

John Mozeliak is pitching out a plan to keep the past year’s data to field younger blood in scoring runs on the board. Gorman scored 19 HRs and 50 RBIs last year. That makes a strong case for him to act as a starter and put more runs on board. Jordan Walker, though he got demoted to Triple-A Memphis after scoring 5 HRs and 20 RBIs, can still be a potent offense for the Cardinals. Nevertheless, the team is ready to offer some unusual moves post-Mozeliak’s retirement. A more aggressive intent is on the plate. 

Arenado is still expected to play for the Cards this year as well. The next year will answer how Mozeliak’s plans are getting unfolded on the field. 

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