The St. Louis Cardinals have made it very clear that they intend to increase their payroll this offseason.
But by how much is unclear.
The Cards have a clear need for a catcher, a power bat, and an ace level starting pitcher.
So, Cardinals fans might expect a significant payroll increase for 2023.
According to Derrick Goold, that number is expected to increase from roughly $165 million to $185 million.
However, with money already committed to players such as Adam Wainwright and Nolan Arenado, it appears that the Cardinals don’t have as much to work with as they were letting on, or in other words, aren’t willing to spend as much as fans thought.
One Cardinals insider points out the potential pitfalls of John Mozeliak saying that the payroll would increase.
The part that I have a tough time with is calling this “increased payroll.” Technically, it’s true. But the $185M includes $16M from the Rockies & $10M in deferred money paid to Waino over the next decade. The cash spent for ’23 would be remarkably similar to ’19 & ’21.
— Brandon Kiley (@BKSportsTalk) November 10, 2022
Cards Insider Notes Payroll Pitfalls
Obviously, if Mozeliak said that payroll would increase, and he was only referring to contracts that had already been signed, such as the Wainwright deal, that would be most upsetting for Cardinals fans, and rightfully so.
The Cardinals haven’t made a huge splash in the free agent market since signing Dexter Fowler in 2016, and fans have been patiently waiting for that to change.
For context, Wainwright’s contract is worth $17.5 million, with $10 million being deferred and paid annually from 2024-2033.
With the notion that St. Louis only plans on increasing the payroll by roughly $20 million, Mozeliak’s comments seem incredibly disingenuous to the fanbase, and it appears that St. Louis may not be in the market for somebody like Carlos Rodon or Justin Verlander.
