Who Is Most Responsible For Cardinals Underwhelming Play?

The boys of Hot Take Central dig into a controversial topic on whether Oli Marmol or John Mozeliak is more responsible for the underwhelming play of the Cardinals in recent years.
Have the standards of the organization declined? If so, this conversation is probably a lot deeper than just one individual being the issue.
Tune into Hot Take Central weekday mornings on 590 The Fan KFNS and 590thefan.com.
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[@jkahl5596]

The real trade we need is a front office trade

[@henketooraw]

“No team falls this far without multiple factors going wrong” Paraphrased it but this line def nailed it

[@georgesouthwick7000]

When the two guys that were counted on to carry the offense, Goldschmidt and Arenado, are sleepwalking through the season, it’s a wonder things aren’t worse.

[@robertradermecher4083]

Flarherty 100k 11bb 3.01 ERA Game plan 86 wins. Sneak in,lose first round. Go collect,repeat. Franchise now worth billions..............

[@KevinWM2]

Good segment. Let's hope you win the Lance Lynn bet. Have a great day at Rickwood. That's a trip I've always been meaning to make.

[@scottcoleman9710]

both need to go but Oli is one of the most uninspiring managers I've seen in 50 years of following baseball. Just a robot that I can't see anyone being motivated to play for.

[@mr.intensity2685]

That, and I just can't stand listening to him talk to anything related to baseball.

[@ryancairns139]

Mo. Clearly. He should have been proactive last year and done a massive sell at the deadline. What would LA have given up for Arenado? What could Goldschmidt have gotten us?

[@1212LeoSnake]

I couldn't wait for you guys to flame this team losing to the...Marlins!?😤. Been waiting for this one. Be safe guys

[@adl6690]

But according to the Athletic, the Cardinals are “rolling”

[@1212LeoSnake]

@@adl6690 Rolling where!?🤔🤣

[@adl6690]

Ultimately (as mozeliak says ad nauseam), this is on the front office and the team’s increasingly cheap owner.

[@mooninites755]

Why do we have to pick one when both of them should be gone before the end of the year? Also the amount of Mizzou fans texting in dunking on SLU like they have ever been relevant in sports is cute. If Mizzou fans could jump from the height of their ego to their programs results which are on the floor, well, they wouldn't survive that type of fall damage.

[@dillonhatfield7724]

Of course it’s Mo….he built a roster with 3 pitchers we could reasonably expect to make it through the year. Two of them are 5s and Sonny isn’t even a #1 on a bunch of teams. The guy keeps talking about log jams in outfield and having 6 starters…it’s insulting at this point…he thinks we’re dumb. Also, analytics should be a means to an end. The Cards use analytics as the end, the manger is the means to the end.

[@MichaelW969]

Ce-pe-da? What an embarassment

[@mikekeeler6362]

Cardinals are headed for the same record they had last year

[@boschlosser10]

Quinn Mathews need to be moved to AAA and see what he has dude has been striking out double digit guys in 3 levels so far… give him a start in Springfield if he strikes 10-14 out again… send him to Memphis it’s time dude is dealing

[@Samir-3737]

Who is the guy talking that’s not pictured? I like his takes

[@bschaeffer12]

Matt Whitener! He was on his game in this show! I need to get a photo of him to edit the background for when he's on with us.

[@KevinWM2]

​@@bschaeffer12 I'm glad the question was asked. I enjoyed him on the show too.

[@BillDownton]

So let's trade all so they can go somewhere else and be great

[@davidshowmaker4408]

Might as well. Cause they aren’t doing anything here!

[@thequixoticangler3364]

We're the Hornets of baseball. Just outside the playoffs, not bad enough to get a monster in the draft. Purgatory.

[@docholliday4824]

Last 2 games should prove to MO he must strengthen the bullpen. Offense sucked again.

[@lincolnlandpicker]

Offense has scored enough runs to win but bullpen and a couple starters are the problem. Get ahead and bullpen loses the lead game after game.

[@jasonjohnston4766]

What’s responsible for making my drink cold that would be ice

[@bschaeffer12]

Uh huh

[@stephenconnell2689]

We have a number of great 4 inning pitchers, and they should be piggybacked together. Instead of starting Liberatore, who gets hammered in the first innings but does well in relief. Start a Matz (whenever available)or Lynn, but don't wait, to get them out in the fourth. Big MO, don't wait, trade for pitching, and not another #5 pitcher. Anything short of another Gray, and we might as well admit we're not going anywhere. Big MO and his Mo men have to go.

[@derekperry8896]

Lynn.. how about middle relief

[@michaelcollins106]

Both. Mo lied about the team he made and Oli can’t coach at this level yet. He managed like a AAA manager who is more responsible about development than wins the way he uses players. Get rid of both of them. Or can Mo and send Oli back down and hire Skip already.

[@brianr4214]

Amazing , that 2026 NoMo-BoZo a month & a half after Matz injury, is still passing off A Liberatore - Pallante tandem as viable starting pitchers. Neither being allow to throw in excess of 65 pitches. I'm going to celebrate my butt off the day (BoZo) the Ventriloquist, and His dummy ride of into the Sunset. Chaim Bloom needs to set the story straight on Marquee Players. Earn the money your agent demanded or you'll be a Pine dwelling bench warmer.

[@chrisweidner4768]

Here’s a novel idea. How about getting a hit and passing the baton to the next guy. Weary of watching Gorman guessing, looking horrific and then once in a .200 batting average, running into one. Team should be spraying the ball all over the ball yard. Batting averages should all be above .250 for the power guys and .290 for the table setters. Watching this team is a slog. Still waiting……

[@stephenconnell2689]

Not just LaRussa, but Dave Duncan would make a huge difference in their prime. Shildt was better, but was not a MO Man. I never criticized ownership, they spend more than the Brewers do. They have relied way too long on Big Mo and then laughed at Cardinal Nation, basically saying show up or we'll spend less. Plus,we need 500 million for stadium upgrades. Enjoy our Ballpark Village and be patient for Big Mo and his Mo Men.

[@jasonjohnston4766]

Let’s see who’s responsible for the underwhelming play probably the guys that are playing

[@helgaratbone1691]

Shit and slumps happen. But how you react to it all is key! Idiot Oli wasted Winn’s production in the 8th spot wayyyy too long this year. He kept slumping Goldy in the 2 spot the first 30 plus games despite not being able to hit out of a paper bag! Unacceptable! When important people are slumping how one makes out the lineups exceptionally matters!! Oli manages based on the past.. old numbers. He can’t see what’s right in front of him in the now! Unacceptable! And Moz not getting us a second ace signifies the front office isn’t currently interested in a 2024 ring! Unacceptable!

[@cwg44]

Mo, because of his inability to be PROACTIVE. Remember the bullpen arms signed in FA? Almost the all star break and they’ve made no impact, their holes are filled by rotating minor leaguer arms. It is glaringly obvious that #5 needs filled, it’s embarrassing everytime we get to that turn in the rotation. It is also glaringly obvious that this offense has potential, but it stops there. We can’t compete in this league with an offense with “potiential”. Think about how differently this season would be going if Mo/Dewitt had fully addressed the issues, accounting for potiential injuries, instead of just patching the holes already leaking water. As much as I love Marp, the 2 bench bats you brought in are old men with almost no pop. Outside of maybe burleson and Gorman when he is hot, there isn’t someone for another team to fear at the plate. On top of all of this, that whole “patience” stuff has effectively become a meme in the fan base, for good reason. Remember when shildt got fired because .500 was unacceptable? What happened to standards? Sorry, rant over.

[@davidshowmaker4408]

Mo! He told Arenado he’d build a team around him and didn’t do shit!

[@rdmkeytohwy]

Neither one. The players are the ones who play the games. They were underwhelming last year, same this year. I’m also not trying to be too critical of the players but ultimately it is up to them. I know many of these guys, especially Goldy and Arenado, are great players because they have shown that many times in the past. The last two years have been a real struggle for both of them. I think it is a testament to how hard this game is to play at an insanely high level. And you know failure eats at those two guys like nothing else. They need to relax, not overthink things too much, and just play the game. I do think their strategy at the plate should be to sit on the fastball and adjust to everything else. They both are good at hitting the ball to right field and base hits are OK. Walks and base hits also win games.

[@Jammin_jenn]

Way more faith in Pallante than Lynn. Hey safe travels tonight B. God bless!

[@KenScott-eu9mc]

Mozeliak, clearly. He said it wouldn’t be this way again, and he lied. Two of the three starters he signed are going to prove to have been mediocre at best when all is said and done.

[@cwg44]

2 of the 3 starters signed are performing above league average, I’ll give you Lance Lynn being mediocre. You’re wrong if you think Gibson or Gray have been mediocre at best

[@elijahcason1]

Mo didnt say it wouldn’t be like THIS again, he said it wouldn’t be like last year- and so far that stands to be true. The team isn’t as good as we want it to be, but it’s not nearly as bad as last year

[@Samir-3737]

Impossible to plan for Goldy/Nado/Gorman being so trash. That is why we’re an average team

[@michaelcollins106]

This is unlistenable.

[@jiimbow]

I concur thats what happens in our shock jock trendy society once this kind of announcing was edgy not to long ago now its just juvenile puss laden drivel.. ...God there so so witty......NOT