One of the time-honored traditions of adulting is cleaning out the refrigerator. You open it up, peer in slowly, and try to identify what is still good and what smells bad. It's not an easy task, because you may look like a homeless person who stole a fridge when it's all said and done. Nevertheless, it must be done in order for a healthy future to take place.
The St. Louis Cardinals have stormed back into the playoff race, and there have been several reasons given for the turnaround: The new energy from Mike Shildt and Mark Budaska; the explosive breakout of Matt Carpenter; the defensive renaissance led by Harrison Bader and Kolten Wong; the hungry baserunning methods. Just don't forget about a man called John Mozeliak.
On July 27, one could say Mozeliak's seat was a little warm. Calling it hot may go too far, but after firing Mike Matheny and the Shildt era getting off to a slow start, the President of Baseball Operations carried the responsibility of fixing the Cardinals on his shoulders alone. Unless, you really believe Michael Girsch calls the shots, which I still do not.
In a string of moves that took place over the following four days, Mozeliak cleaned out the fridge, setting his new manager and team up with a clean deck of cards and playing table.
The bullpen got a facelift. By dispatching the troublesome arm of Greg Holland to the DFA pile, sending Brett Cecil to the disabled list, and kicking Tyler Lyons ultimately back to the minor leagues to reload as a starter, Mozeliak took the Pandora out of the Cardinals' relief corps. Sam Tuivailala was having an encouraging season, but was too inconsistent to be relied on heavily. Chasen Shreve and Tyler Webb took over small roles, but it was the inclusion of young starters Daniel Poncedeleon and Dakota Hudson into the mix that truly kickstarted the change in the bullpen's makeup.
By placing starters into bullpen roles, Mozeliak was taking the gloves off and going unconventional in his rehab approach to a problem. He could have scoured the market for a couple more semi-reliable arms, but instead he did what he does best, and that's look within to solve a problem.
Luke Voit, a 4A talent who knew the I-55 stretch between Memphis and St. Louis all too well this summer, was sent to the New York Yankees for Shreve and minor league bullpen depth. A low-key move that realigned the depth in the Cardinals minor league rosters, but also cleared an option out that Mozeliak had used too many times this year to no avail. Voit was going nowhere here, so it was the right move.
Mozeliak saved his biggest move for last, trading Tommy Pham to the Tampa Bay Rays for three minor leaguers. Forget who the Cardinals got in return, because this was a move that aimed to upset the established order of the lineup. Pham was coming off a 6.2 WAR season in 2017 and chose to bet on himself in contract negotiations over the winter, where he accepted a one-year deal instead of a two year deal with more money. The gamble didn't pay off, as Pham struggled after a hot start to the 2018 season. A blunt-honest interview with Sports Illustrated where Pham ripped the organization for nearly giving up on him started to stink instead of shine, and the relationship between player and team began to rupture over the course of the season.
What the Pham trade did was clear the way for Bader to take over center field, which has opened the door for endless highlight reel catches, run-saving defense, and zero off-the-field drama. Whether you liked Pham or not, one couldn't deny the drama that came with him to the field. The chip on his shoulder was too much to bear for his time to be extended, so a trade really was the best thing. Pham's bat had slowed down, his defense worsened, and his overall appeal had taken a nosedive. Pham's 0.8 WAR was switched out for Bader's current 3.8 WAR.
Sure, a broken bone in Dexter Fowler's foot took him out of the starting lineup and roster for the foreseeable future, paving the way for Jose Martinez's bat to collect more at-bats. No one wants to see a player get hurt, but sometimes, the subtraction can make the overall unit a better product. Some things out of Mozeliak's control did help.
Here's the funny thing. People were calling for Mozeliak's job last month simply because Matheny was fired. They forgot that one guy had established a dominant farm system over the past ten years and made endless additions and subtractions to the team, resulting in a World Series and playoff appearances. They weren't paying attention to the fact that one of the best pitchers in the National League in Miles Mikolas is here because Mozeliak outmaneuvered the Cubs and other teams in landing him.
They forget that it was Mozeliak who decided to take a chance on Bud Norris, who has anchored the Cardinals bullpen this season as the closer.
People complain about the Fowler and Brett Cecil signings, but remember this: they were solid signings based on what the player had done in recent years. Fowler was coming off a pair of quality seasons, and Cecil was money in Toronto for multiple seasons. Here's another thing: The two players weren't bad for the team last year, each being positive in the WAR department.
This year, Fowler and Cecil have experienced awful seasons, but you can't erase the methodical nature in the signings due to a bad turn in performance. Judging by his last two outings, Cecil may be pulling out of his funk, and one can wish Fowler finds something next spring.
The Mike Leake contract was abysmal in every way, but Mozeliak dished that out for mere cash payments the next two years. When something doesn't go right, Mozeliak finds a way to make it right. No one is perfect, especially in sports management.
That's what he did with this Cardinals team at the end of July. He cut the fat, trimmed the roster down, added youth, and gave the team new energy. He gave Shildt a great hand to work with, and it has resulted in a 15-4 run in August that has the team chasing down the division-leading Cubs as well as a wildcard spot. His work was the basis of this miraculous change in performance.
It was Mozeliak who made the tough choice and fired Matheny, placing a man in his place that he had groomed for last 10+ years. It was Mozeliak that reset the bullpen and the roster for a healthier attack. The man who has orchestrated all of the winning ways of this team waved his magic wand one more time.
People wanted Mozeliak gone, and now he looks like a genius once again. "Mo Knows" has seemed to take the victory lap once again, and I think that holds whether or not the Cardinals make the playoffs. An October appearance would confirm the overhaul's intent, but Mozeliak has set this team up for a bright future without having to make a huge move to pull it off. Understated and methodical: the Mozeliak way.
The best thing to come out of the coaching staff and roster change is that there is a plan seemingly in place. A youth movement mixed with a veteran overwatch that allows for more moves to be made. Today, the team brought back veteran first baseman Matt Adams and his 18 home runs, a move that will only add to the depth and protect against injury. Suddenly, the Cardinals look like a team loaded with possibilities. This was no accident. It was one guy playing the long game, for better or worse.
Mozeliak's seat was rightfully warm once upon a time, but now it's perfectly cool. He had the audacity to clean the fridge and make things right. One day, he may lose that roster magic. For the time being, let's acknowledge and appreciate it.
