The Cardinals front office addressed the cautious approach taken to the off-season when it comes to free agents:
No, Mozeliak said Saturday when asked if the Cardinals had spent the kind of cash he thought they would back when he sounded so optimistic about a significant uptick in spending. “We could have spent more,” he said. “But we are not just going to spend to spend. My guess is, by the season’s end, it will probably be spent.”
Yes, said Mozeliak, confirming the existence of a growing pile of dry powder that is larger than it has been in years. “Do we have bandwidth to still add to this club throughout the year? Yes, we do. Is the market something that had an adverse affect to us spending? The answer is, of course. The way we operate is, we are going to invest in what we think are smart investments. Prudent.”
StLToday.com
It strikes me that the Cardinals were caught a bit off-guard by the change in the market. The raising of the luxury tax threshold brought some of the big players back into the game, and it appears the Cardinals were not ready for that.
On the other hand, the Cardinals remain one of the most successful teams of the 21st century. Their 1930-1529 regular season winning percentage ranks third in the majors. Unlike the two teams in front of them, the Yankees and the Dodgers, they won two World Series titles along the way. They do an excellent job of developing talent, and acquiring needed talent in trades. If they need to take a pause to readjust, the fans should give them the benefit of the doubt.