The St. Louis Cardinals followed up one of the most improbable World Series runs in 2006 with one of the most tumultuous seasons in baseball history in 2007. From manager Tony LaRussa’s pre-season drunk driving arrest to reliever Josh Hancock’s tragic car accident to the too good-to-be-true feel good story of pitcher-turned-slugger Rick Ankiel sullied by HGH allegations, the defending champs seemed like they could do no right in 2007. Despite everything the Cardinals put up a valiant fight and made a push in what was admittedly the weakest division in baseball. In the end, however, a combination of all the off-field issues and a non-stop barrage of injuries left the defending champs on the outside looking in during the playoffs. They were also left looking at themselves, trying to decide how they could, with the problems still facing them (including injuries to starting pitchers Chris Carpenter and Mark Mulder), rebuild an aging team while still looking to compete in a very winnable National League Central.
The first change came at the top of the organization, where long-time Cardinal boss Walt Jocketty was fired, paving the way for his top assistant, John Mozeliak, to take on the role of General Manager. While some may look at the GM of the St. Louis Cardinals as a dream job, the reality of Mozeliak’s situation was an aging and injury-riddled roster, his Cy Young-winning pitcher out for a good portion of the upcoming season, his slugging third baseman in a very public feud with his manager, and a fairly thin farm system to work with, all while being constrained by a modest payroll. Mozeliak has done well for himself and the organization with a few small free agents acquisitions to go along with the Jim Edmonds and Scott Rolen trades, but he will continue to have his work cut out for him during the 2008 season as he tries to build a contender in St. Louis.
