Cardinals Slammed By Insider For Being 'Stuck In The Middle'

The St. Louis Cardinals have seemingly figured out a solution to the problems that were plaguing them earlier this season. After a 14-19 start, St. Louis has won 13 of its last 16 games.

They also are just two games back of first place in the National League Central and the third NL Wild Card spot. This team may ultimately be better than what people expected out of them this year.

However, they are still being criticized for certain things. They haven't exactly picked a lane.

Andy McCollough of The Athletic criticized the Cardinals for being stuck in the middle rather than choosing a path.

"Herein reside some of the sport’s most frustrated fanbases. This group contains some of baseball’s more venerated franchises: the Cubs, the Boston Red Sox, the St. Louis Cardinals and the San Francisco Giants. They aren’t rebuilding but they aren’t exactly operating, as Boston chairman Tom Werner infamously declared heading into 2024, at 'full throttle,'" McCollough wrote.

"These teams are good enough to avoid last-place finishes, but haven’t developed talent like the overachievers have and don’t spend as the powerhouses do."

The Cardinals announced a "reset" at the start of the offseason, but chose to hold onto Ryan Helsley and Erick Fedde and also were unable to trade Nolan Arenado. It may ultimately be for the best now that they're winning again, but it was certainly fair to question their motives.

How the Cardinals play leading up to the trade deadline will determine their direction.