ST. LOUIS — The Cardinals Winter Warm-Up began on Saturday, with players, coaches and management taking part.
John Mozeliak, President of Baseball Operations for the Cardinals, spoke about the 2023 season, Matt Holliday's recent departure and more ahead of spring training around the corner.
Opening remarks
"As we start to look at the season, obviously it's a very exciting time for the St. Louis Cardinals," Mozeliak said. "As we start to look at Jupiter and starting to really think about the 2023 season, we really are excited about what we have. We know that this is a really talented team.
"The key for the St. Louis Cardinals as you think about the 2023 season is really going to be is 'who are we?' And what I mean by that is, 'what is Tyler O'Neill," 'what is Dylan Carlson,' 'what are we going to get out of Jack Flaherty?'" he said.
"And if these guys perform to the expectations we believe they are capable of, we think we are going to be a very talented and compelling team to watch."
"I promise you it's going to be a fun team to watch and one that is going to be very competitive," Mozeliak said.
2022 Postseason
John Mozeliak talked about the 2022 postseason after an early exit. The team lost to the Philadelphia Phillies in the Wild Card round. He talked about what the team has learned and what to do to win in the postseason.
"Don't blow a lead late in the game and change your trajectory," he said. "You gotta get outs. You think back to Game 1 and what happens if we win that game? Who knows, it's always hard to rewrite history."
Offseason
Mozeliak said there were some negotiations with other players in the works after signing new Cardinals catcher Willson Contreras but the Cardinals did not move forward with them.
The team was looking to add a veteran left-handed bat to the lineup. "I don't think we were a very compelling team to come to because when you look at the roster, there is competition on who that might be. I think some people did not find that interesting," Mozeliak said.
"I feel like the effort we put into the offseason was real, I can promise you it was a very busy one in the sense of effort but the return is what it is. Again, not overly concerned about it because I really think we have a good club," he said.
Mozeliak added he believed the offseason trade market was slow and that when the team realized it was slow, they moved to the free-agent market.
The team discussed different pitchers on the market but was unable to sign them, according to Mozeliak.
Mozeliak also addressed the payroll with spending on players and different signings. He confirmed it did go up but probably not as much as other expected. He added that he does expect that by the end of the year, the money will be spent.
Matt Holliday's departure
Addressing Matt Holliday's recent departure from the bench coach position, Mozeliak said he was made aware of his departure last Saturday and worked quickly to fill the position.
"I've known Matt a long time and have the utmost respect for him, when you find out someone is stepping down from your coaching staff in the second week of January, candidly it's not ideal," he said.
"I think we are very fortunate to end up where we did Joe McEwing is someone who has experience and history with the St. Louis Cardinals... he exemplifies everything the Cardinals stand for," he said.
Bullpen
Mozeliak addressed the bullpen rotation and was open about the possibility of additions throughout the season.
"Historically, we never rule out adding bullpen help at any time of year. I would say that we would be open to that and still continue to explore that market," Mozeliak said.
"I really like our depth, there are guys that give you a lot of flexibility," he said about the Cardinals pitchers. "We are really excited about what we have."
He talked about Adam Wainwright coming back for the 2023 season and what he brings to the team.
"Expectations are high," he said. "I think any time you ever want to bet against Adam Wainwright, you are probably making a bad bet. He has proved us all wrong for years. He is someone who works extremely hard.
"We are lucky to have someone like him because he is great in the clubhouse and a good mentor to the young players."
Contract extensions
After the Cardinals signed one-year deals with several players on Friday, Mozeliak added that there are no extension talks between any other players currently.
Cardinals signed Jack Flaherty, Jordan Hicks, Dakota Hudson, Jordan Montgomery, Tommy Edman, Andrew Knizner and Tyler O'Neill to one-year contracts. They also exchanged salary arbitration figures with Génesis Cabrera and Ryan Helsley.
"At the moment, no extension talks," he said. "You are either focused on an extension or a one-year deal done and the group of nine we focused on the one."
The Cardinals Winter Warm-Up takes place Saturday, Jan. 14 through Monday, Jan. 16 at Busch Stadium. Information regarding the event can be found here.
