最新杏吧原创

JUPITER, Fla. 鈥� It鈥檚 supposed to be cloudy here Monday for the Cardinals鈥� first full-team workout, which is fitting because things are cloudy with this franchise.

So much so the ballyhooed 鈥渞eset鈥� no longer is a reset.

We kept hearing that word all winter 鈥� and as president of baseball operations John Mozeliak said Sunday, they used 鈥渞eset鈥� to show that the changing Cards were trying to avoid a full 鈥渞ebuild.鈥�

But how much was really reset? With the unexpected return of Nolan Arenado (whom the Cards were unable to trade) and surprise return of Willson Contreras (who didn鈥檛 want a trade), the Cards have two big bats for 2025, yet bats that will cost a pretty penny 鈥� and that will keep some younger batters out of the lineup.

鈥淭he real calculus for us is how we rethink about playing time for others and how we address that,鈥� Mozeliak said Sunday, the day of Arenado鈥檚 arrival in camp. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 something the staff is thinking through, and as we take these next six weeks (in spring training), that鈥檚 something that we鈥檙e going to try to prepare and have an answer for.鈥�

So yeah. Cloudy.

Yes, there is clarity with what the Cardinals are doing on the developmental side. But from a big league standpoint, it鈥檚 not really a full reset, after all. And the fear here is: They鈥檒l be in the mix in a lackluster National League Central Division and sacrifice development of some guys (hopefully not Nolan Gorman or Jordan Walker) for 2026 and beyond.

So if it鈥檚 not a reset, what is 2025?

Well, listening to Mo in Florida, we鈥檝e heard this one word.

鈥淭he reality is, to me, it鈥檚 really defined by a transition,鈥� Mozeliak said Sunday when asked about why he鈥檚 saying 鈥渢ransition鈥� instead of 鈥渞eset鈥� like in the winter. 鈥淲hy is that? You already know that I have 10 months (remaining before Chaim Bloom takes over), so leadership is going to change. And how you think about even some of the things that we鈥檝e done for years here, those are going to change. So it really is a transition in leadership.

鈥淏ut directionally, it鈥檚 still going to be the same. It鈥檚 going to try to be successful. And how we get there from Day 1 may take a little time, whereas we may see quicker success. We鈥檒l see. But that鈥檚 why I go with the word 鈥榯ransition鈥� versus just 鈥榬eset.鈥欌��

The Cards got themselves in this mess. This was a product of their product: two down seasons and a minor league system that became understaffed and under scrutiny for its underwhelming technology and prospect depth.

At least with Arenado back 鈥� assuming last year鈥檚 average play was an aberration 鈥� he helps the on-field baseball team in 2025.

But I had to ask Mozeliak: How would trading Arenado have helped the franchise?

He didn鈥檛 bring up the financial relief but did say: 鈥淚t would have just taken us down that direction of trying to give that youth movement more playing time. And I think it鈥檚 a little bit premature to sort of come to conclusions on what that looks like now. Our staff knows that they want to look at how they can separate and get players at-bats 鈥� and that鈥檚 something that we鈥檒l use the next few weeks to try to navigate.鈥�

Arenado admitted Sunday that he wished the Cardinals鈥� direction was 鈥渁ll-in.鈥� After all, he鈥檚 never even been to a National League Championship Series (let alone a World Series), and he turns 34 on April 16.

鈥淏ut is this what鈥檚 probably best for the Cardinals? Probably,鈥� said Arenado, a probable Hall of Fame third baseman. 鈥淚 think they needed to reshape some things here and do some things. But at the end of the day, I鈥檓 a ballplayer. I鈥檓 a Cardinal until I鈥檓 told I鈥檓 not. And that鈥檚 all there is to it. And I got a lot of work to do. I got to be a better ballplayer.鈥�

I鈥檝e written praise for manager Oliver Marmol before. I believe in the guy. I think he鈥檒l navigate this reset 鈥� um, transition. But this season will sure be his trickiest. And it (officially) starts Monday, as the players report to camp for the first full-squad workout, including young guys such as Gorman, Walker, Lars Nootbaar, Ivan Herrera, Pedro Pages, Alec Burleson, Michael Siani and Victor Scott II, whose career trajectories could be determined by these next six weeks (and the ensuing six months).

During the offseason, Marmol talked about his excitement for the clarity of the team鈥檚 direction.

On Sunday, with Arenado鈥檚 return and the effects it has on other players, he was asked if it鈥檚 still something he feels confident in.

鈥淵eah 鈥� and we have to take a step much further back than that,鈥� Marmol said. 鈥淟ike, this is the development of our minor-league system, of getting a ton more staff and different skill sets into the door and building that from the very bottom all the way through. Creating more continuity from that level all the way through the big league level. There鈥檚 a ton of infrastructure and technology. Like, it鈥檚 not just clarity to 鈥� where are you in the standings now with Nolan?

鈥淚t鈥檚 that we鈥檙e wanting to build something that鈥檚 going to last for a while and get back to leading the industry in certain areas. That doesn鈥檛 change, not even a little bit, right? So like, I understand your question 鈥� but there鈥檚 a lot more to it that鈥檚 in place. Nolan walking through the door is a good thing.鈥�