ӣ����Ƶ

This may be the most unique trade deadline in the history of the Cardinals franchise thanks to the baseball operations department’s transition from current president John Mozeliak to incoming president and current adviser Chaim Bloom.

The club’s slip in performance in recent weeks — entering Monday night against the Colorado Rockies, they’d gone 18-24 since the start of June — only complicates the discourse surrounding the decisions made leading up to Major League Baseball’s trading deadline on July 31.

This summer represents an important benchmark as far as where this club is headed for the next few seasons. The two most important things Cardinals leadership can communicate, through actions more than anything else, will be a declaration and a direction.

After all, the words gets murky rather quickly. Whether its terms such as rebuild, reset, transition, runway or whatever else, messaging often becomes about influencing public perception more than simply shooting folks straight.

However, actions speak plainly and with a megaphone.

Ideally, the Cardinals’ actions this summer will serve as a clear declaration of how club leadership views its current group.

Hopefully, sooner than later it will be evident which players the club sees as critical parts of future success. By extension, we should also learn who the club has a willingness to move on from in order to open paths for other young players currently progressing through their farm system.

Throughout the offseason, the club made sure not to push its attention too quickly past the current core, and that makes sense if there’s some belief that part of this current group of players will still be with the club when it’s ready to contend.

Dating back to last September, club leadership has always kept that possibility on the table.

“Our baseball decisions going forward will focus on developing our pipeline of players (and) giving our young core every opportunity to succeed at the major league level,” Cardinals Chairman and CEO Bill DeWitt Jr. said the day after the 2024 regular season ended.

“The good news is we have a strong group of young players, and we will continue to push for ways to get better in the short term. And our number one priority will be to lay the foundation for a sustained period of competitive excellence in the years ahead.”

Even in that comment, DeWitt Jr. made sure to hit the short term despite stating the future is the No. 1 priority.

Club leadership left the door open to the idea that they’d build their next contending team around members of the existing core, but that remained to be seen.

That decision clearly wasn’t predetermined. Owner Bill DeWitt III’s comments about the current group of young players at the club’s annual Winter Warm-Up event underscored that in January.

“We really have to clear the path for playing time for all of them so we know what we have,” DeWitt III said. “When we can properly identify who the guys are that are going to be the foundation for our future success, then we can start adding back with various other ways to supplement what you have internally.”

Obviously, that comment instantly gets viewed through the prism of when the club might increase payroll or aggressively explore free agency options.

Looking past the spending aspect, DeWitt III stated very clearly that they were going into this season still needing to sort through which current players will be part of the future that they’re envisioning.

Now, six months later, we’re reaching a point where a defined direction should be taking shape.

The decisions the club makes, starting with but not ending with the trade deadline, will tell us where the club’s leadership is leaning in regard to the current core group of players.

Will they double down on this group?

Continuing to make a postseason push this season will indicate they see long-term value in this group playing in meaningful games now. Of course, that value only comes if those players are going to be part of the club’s next contending team.

On the other hand, might the Cardinals display a willingness to forego a playoff push and turn attention to acquiring prospects aimed at bolstering their hopes of contending in 2026, 2027 or 2028?

In that case, they’d seemingly be telling us that the foundation of the next contending team isn’t currently in the majors. Obviously, that’s not something a club announces publicly. It’s not exactly likely to rally a fan base.

But if the front office moves players off the current roster in order to acquire players that might not impact the roster in a meaningful way for another year or two, it will be instructive.

This trade deadline and the months that follow should tell us how the club feels about its current group of players and it should also indicate whether the front office will treat that group as a foundation or placeholders for the next core group that they expect to contend.

It won’t necessarily be about what’s said as much as what’s done.

To take a page out of the book of former Seattle Seahawks All-Pro running back Marshawn Lynch: It’s about that action, boss.

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DENVER — The seats his grandparents had at Coors Field with their season tickets were over there by the home dugout, right behind the camera well, and thinking back, it was often his grandmother who gave her ticket so young Kyle Leahy could see the Colorado Rockies.

Someone else was sitting there Tuesday night watching from that prime viewpoint as Leahy stabilized the Cardinals with a career outing. But he felt a presence.

His grandmother, Ruth Leahy, died earlier Tuesday at a care facility not too far from Denver, and after a morning with family, Kyle went to the ballpark, went ready to pitch from the mound he could see so clearly as a kid from her seat.

“I didn’t block it out; I just embraced it and knew that someone is there watching me,” Leahy said. “I had plenty of people watching me here in person. Obviously, someone else was somewhere else. She hadn’t eaten for the last 11 or 12 days I think, and it’s pretty obvious she was waiting for us to get here.”

The Cardinals’ multitasking reliever, Leahy pitched 3 2/3 innings through the middle of an 8-4 loss to the Rockies. The Cardinals trailed by six runs when starter Erick Fedde left the mound after the third inning. And what Leahy did for the next 11 outs not only bought time for a comeback that fell short but likely saved a peer from being optioned to Class AAA Memphis on Thursday for a fresh arm.

The final two outs Leahy got in the seventh inning made it possible for manager Oliver Marmol to maintain enough options for the series finale at altitude Wednesday.

Had Leahy just shouldered that assignment, it would have been essential, but he made it impressive with a career-high seven strikeouts. Three of them bracketed the lone run he allowed in the fifth inning.

“This is a guy who can give you length and give you short stints but also you can kind of project down the road that you can throw him in the rotation at some point to see what he’s capable of doing,” Marmol said. “He’s fulfilled the role that we’ve asked of him. But the growth has been actually really good.”

Leahy, 28, shaved his ERA down to 2.95 after his 40th appearance this season. One fellow reliever (at least) has urged the team to consider Leahy as a starter because of his array of pitches and sweeping slider. The Cardinals plan to explore that for 2026, if not earlier. The most common descriptions of the right-hander include his calm presence and steady pulse. Marmol referenced it as the “demeanor” of a starter. Catcher Pedro Pages brought it up late Tuesday night in the clubhouse, saying how he’d “never seen Kyle get too high, and I’ve never seen him get too low.”

He kept his grandmother’s death private Tuesday so that few teammates knew, and he did not discuss it until after the game.

Before the All-Star break, Leahy said his goodbye to his grandmother over FaceTime. Her condition worsened from there, he said. On Monday, Kyle went to his parents’ home just outside of Boulder, Colorado, and he planned to see his grandmother with family in the morning.

He did — shortly after she died.

“I have lots of memories of coming to games,” he said. “They always had a Rockies game on in their house all throughout the year. Grew up watching a lot of Rockies baseball.”

The grandson of a basketball coach and son of a basketball coach, Kyle’s family has deep roots in the courts and fields of Boulder Valley. His grandfather, Ruth’s husband Mike Leahy, coached basketball at Fairview High and Centaurus High in the Boulder area as part of four decades pacing the sidelines. Kyle’s father Tim coached at nearby Skyline High and then later Kyle’s alma mater, Erie High.

His grandmother was a vocal presence.

“She yelled at umpires,” Leahy said at his locker in the Cardinals clubhouse late Tuesday night. “And she yelled at referees playing basketball. Yelled at coaches. She was fiery like that but also nurturing and caring like most grandmothers are.”

Grandpa Mike would “pirate” videos from games, Kyle said, and stash them on his phone so that he could share Kyle’s innings with Ruth at the care facility. Kyle described how his grandmother “was barely awake these past couple of weeks,” but Mike would still show her clips of their grandson pitching.

Leahy took over for Fedde in the bottom of the fourth inning. He navigated around a double and a walk to keep the Rockies scoreless immediately after the Cardinals scored their first two runs.

In the fifth, Leahy struck out the first two batters.

A double and a single combined to produce the lone run against him before he spun four curveballs past Michael Toglia for the inning-ending strikeout. Leahy threw more curveballs than any other pitch and got six of his nine swings and misses on that pitch. But it was also just one of six pitches he challenged the Rockies with as a reliever.

After the game, he couldn’t shake being critical of two pitches — the two that produced the run.

“I’m kicking myself that I gave up a run,” he said. “I think I should have made another good pitch, and I think I should have struck another guy out. I just needed to make one good pitch out of two hitters, and I made two bad ones. I’m kicking myself over that. I’m not happy that we lost the game. Every win is important right now.”

What he did gave the Cardinals a better chance to win Wednesday and into the series against San Diego.

And he did it with his grandmother’s seat in sight and her in mind.

“It’s cliché,” Leahy said, “but this is where she would want me to be.”

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Photos: Cardinals drop second game of series vs. Rockies in Colorado

Rockies 8, Cardinals 4

ӣ����Ƶ AB R H BI BB SO Avg.

Donovan 2b 5 0 2 1 0 0 .295

Herrera dh 4 0 0 0 1 0 .303

Burleson lf 3 1 2 0 1 0 .293

Contreras 1b 5 1 2 0 0 1 .258

Arenado 3b 4 0 1 1 0 0 .244

Winn ss 4 0 1 1 0 0 .269

Walker rf 4 1 2 0 0 0 .224

Pagés c 3 0 0 0 0 0 .207

Pozo ph-c 1 0 1 1 0 0 .309

Scott cf 2 1 0 0 2 0 .232

Totals 35 4 11 4 4 1

Colorado AB R H BI BB SO Avg.

Freeman dh 4 0 0 0 1 1 .316

Moniak rf 4 2 2 2 1 0 .275

Goodman c 5 0 1 0 0 3 .277

Beck lf 4 1 1 0 0 2 .271

McMahon 3b 3 2 1 3 1 1 .219

Tovar ss 4 1 1 0 0 2 .266

Doyle cf 4 1 3 1 0 1 .216

Toglia 1b 4 1 0 0 0 2 .197

Amador 2b 3 0 2 2 1 1 .179

Totals 35 8 11 8 4 13

ӣ����Ƶ 000 200 110 — 4 11 1

Colorado 123 010 01x — 8 11 0

E: Donovan (3). LOB: ӣ����Ƶ 9, Colorado 7. 2B: Contreras (25), Donovan (24), Walker (7), Pozo (7), Amador 2 (6), Tovar (7). HR: Moniak (15), off Fedde; McMahon (16), off Fedde. RBIs: Arenado (43), Winn (34), Donovan (39), Pozo (15), Moniak 2 (38), Amador 2 (7), McMahon 3 (35), Doyle (31). DP: ӣ����Ƶ 1; Colorado 2.

ӣ����Ƶ IP H R ER BB SO ERA

Fedde, L, 3-10 3 7 6 6 1 5 5.22

Leahy 32/3 3 1 1 1 7 2.95

King 1/3 0 0 0 0 0 5.30

O’Brien 1 1 1 0 2 1 1.85

Colorado IP H R ER BB SO ERA

Blalock, W, 1-2 51/3 8 2 2 1 0 8.67

Bird 2/3 0 0 0 0 0 3.96

Agnos 1/3 1 1 1 2 0 5.83

Vodnik 12/3 2 1 1 0 0 3.00

Halvorsen 1 0 0 0 1 1 5.02

Inherited runners-scored: Bird 2-0, Vodnik 2-0. HBP: Blalock (Burleson).

T: 2:30. Att.: 30,137.

DENVER — Whatever trade deadline plans Cardinals executive John Mozeliak signaled Monday in the dugout by saying recent results have him exploring the benefits of being a seller, such sentiments draw interest but not much volume in the current clubhouse, members said.

One veteran referred to it as “super-noise.”

As the July 31 trade deadline nears and the Cardinals find themselves fielding offers for players on expiring contracts for the second time in three years, the feeling in the clubhouse is different than the losing season of 2023 and curiosity of acquisition in 2024, several players said. Willson Contreras said he’s shut the door completely to any trade deadline chatter.

“I’m not looking to the trade deadline,” he said late Monday night. “I’m just focused on getting the team right — doing the small things. Whatever (Mozeliak) is going to do, he’s going to do. We’re not focusing on that. That’s super-noise. If he’s going to sell, he’s going to sell. If he’s going to acquire, he’s going to acquire. The only thing we can control is what we do here inside. The way we go through our business — on and off the field — and then we play the game.

“Our mentality, our mindset right now is focusing in the clubhouse, is focusing here,” Contreras continued. “Whatever is going to happen on the trade deadline is going to happen. Our mindset is to make adjustments day in and day out and play our best baseball so the good things happen.”

The Cardinals’ victory Monday night stemmed a three-game losing stream coming out of the break, but recent road troubles — they entered Tuesday 2-8 in their past 10 — have coincided with hot streaks by division rivals. Milwaukee woke up Tuesday on an 11-game winning streak and boasting the best record in baseball at 60-40. The Reds have gone 6-4 in their past 10, and that’s been enough to tie the Cardinals for third place, at 52-49 in the National League Central.

The number of teams ahead of the Cardinals in the division and wild-card standings has change the trade deadline “equation,” president of baseball operations Mozeliak said Monday at Coors Field. And the volume of calls he’s received from other teams increased after the series sweep in Arizona.

The volume of chatter in the clubhouse has been there but not pervasive.

“I feel like this has been the least distracted when it comes to that,” manager Oliver Marmol said. “They’re really just focused on what’s next — which is tonight’s game. There has been very little assumptions or conversations. It’s actually hasn’t been a distraction at all. A lot of the clubhouse conversations have been around getting on a run and taking care of what we can take care of. Not so much trying to play GM and guessing as to what’s next.”

Three of the Cardinals relievers — All-Star closer Ryan Helsley, setup man Phil Maton and swingman lefty Steven Matz — are all free agents at season’s end and have drawn varying degrees of interest from other teams.

“I would love to stay here long-term, but I also understand teams have to look at the return,” Helsley said. “You see both sides of it as a fan of the game and also as a player. If we traded someone and we get the return that helps the organization down the road or we can get someone to make a deeper push this year. It’s hard to make the postseason every year, so you want that chance.”

Mozeliak said he planned to talk with Nolan Arenado in the coming days about what his wishes are at the deadline and if he would like the team to explore trades. Arenado has a no-trade clause that he has already exercised in the past year to block a trade to Houston. Contreras along with starters Sonny Gray and Miles Mikolas also have no-trade clauses. Mozeliak said he would talk to the others as well but did not expect any change in their preferences to stay with the Cardinals though “it’s worth a conversation.”

Regarding Arenado specifically, Mozeliak said: “Right now, I would say we envision him being a part” of the team after the deadline.

This time of year, Marmol meets individually with players and his coaches keep in conversation with players to be available for questions or concerns about the trade deadline. Marmol added that with the veterans and their no-trade clauses he talks with them “when the time is right” for a candid exchange. It’s those talks, he said, that keep trade talks from becoming too much the talk of the clubhouse.

“It hasn’t been a distraction,” Marmol said, “because guys feel communicated to.”

Burleson back from bruised foot

Alec Burleson left Monday night’s 6-2 victory after fouling a pitch off the top of his right foot and bruising it so deeply that it was difficult to run or plant his foot.

X-rays taken at Coors Field did not illuminate any fractures, and Burleson said late Monday night that he had been diagnosed with a bruised foot.

But Burleson was back in the lineup Tuesday.

Although not initially in the Cardinals’ starting nine, Burleson tested his swing and running before the evening game and felt comfortable and strong enough to play. The pain subsided with the help of ice that night, and by Tuesday afternoon, the soreness had calmed so that he could test his swing before the game.

Burleson called the overnight plan “pound it with treatment.”

Cardinals spend record sum on draft

The Cardinals finalized agreements with all of their draft picks this past week, and by the end of the signing period, they committed a club record amount in bonuses to players drafted. The Cardinals recently announced deals with second-round pick Ryan Mitchell, a prep outfielder out of Tennessee, and college pitchers Cade Crossland and Ethan Young. All three received above slot bonuses as the Cardinals maneuvered their spending strategically to lure a player like Mitchell away from a commitment to Georgia Tech.

The Cardinals committed $14,106,700 to their 11 picks from the top 10 rounds, according to Post-Dispatch research and reports from Baseball America and . That comes in just under their purse of $14,238,300.

But several of the Cardinals’ picks after the 10th round received bonuses greater than $150,000, and the overage counts against the cap. For example, Baseball America reported Kansas right-hander Alex Breckheimer, the Cardinals’ 16th-round pick, received a bonus of $200,000 to bring his 98 mph fastball and 30% swing-and-miss rate to pro ball.

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DENVER — The crater Erick Fedde dropped the Cardinals in was too big to escape.

The decision he’s forced upon them can no longer be delayed.

Several weeks after the Cardinals first acknowledged discussion of how long the right-hander would remain in the rotation, Fedde allowed six runs before he could get an eighth out Tuesday night against Colorado at Coors Field. His abbreviated start lasted only three innings, and it took a sturdy relief outing by Kyle Leahy to not capsize the bullpen completely with another game to go in the Cardinals’ visit to Coors Field.

The Cardinals’ lineup teased a comeback before stalling in a 8-4 loss, their fourth in five games coming out of the break.

Fedde lost for the seventh consecutive decision.

The Cardinals have lost 10 of his past 12 starts.

When it comes to deciding who continues in the rotation, the contrast was stark this week: Juxtaposed with Fedde’s struggles Tuesday were Michael McGreevy’s seven strong innings in a win Monday.

The Cardinals have been looking to trade Fedde (3-10) ahead of the July 31 deadline to make the choice for them and open up a spot in the rotation. There is another turn of the rotation before the deadline, so the Cardinals will have to face the decision possibly without the move.

Fedde’s start over in 1-2-3

The Cardinals’ embattled right-hander ran into trouble from the outset with the pitch that has betrayed him throughout the season.

At his best with the White Sox a year ago, Fedde had one of the top sweeping sliders in the majors and he had a cutter that he could play other pitches against. This season, his cut fastball has lost some of its bite, and the nature of that pitch is that it’s tough when it’s sharp and it’s clobbered when it’s not.

The Rockies tagged Fedde with two extra-base hits in the first two innings.

Both came on cutters.

And not just any cutters – but the second or third cutters of the at-bat.

The second batter of the bottom of the first, right fielder Mickey Moniak, got consecutive cutters from Fedde and launched the second one 450 feet into the right-field seats. Moniak’s 15th homer of the season set a new career high and started the Rockies on their way to a six-run lead by the end of the third inning. In the second, No. 9 hitter Adael Amador, crushed a cutter for a two-run double. The .163 hitter saw three cutters in the at-bat and ripped the third one for the extra-base hit that widened the lead to 3-0.

The hits kept coming in the bottom of the third.

The Rockies sandwiched two singles to right around a fly out to left to bring No. 5 hitter Ryan McMahon to the plate. A third baseman available via trade that could draw interest from the Cubs and Yankees – two of the teams shopping for the hot corner – McMahon got ahead in the count 3-0 from Fedde. The Cardinals’ right-hander missed with a changeup, missed with a cutter, and couldn’t get McMahon to chase after a sweeper. When Fedde came back over the plate with a 93.7-mph sinker, McMahon put it over the wall for a three-run homer.

In the span of 14 batters, Fedde allowed seven hits and six runs.

The Rockies scored on him easy as 1-2-3 in three innings, respectively.

Fedde did get 12 swings and misses, eight of them on his sweeper. But it was the pitches he used other than that one that caused such trouble. In the second inning, Fedde struck out shortstop Ezequiel Tovar on three pitches – all of them sweepers that Tovar couldn’t combat. The Rockies only put 10 of his 24 strikes in play against Fedde, but seven of them went for hits.

Back in May, Fedde had the first complete-game shutout of his career and he followed that with 5 2/3 shutout innings at Philadelphia. He hasn’t been the same since. Entering the game Tuesday, the Cardinals lost nine of his previous 11 starts before reaching Coors Field. He was 0-6 in those games. He allowed 85 baserunners in his previous 52 innings.

Including Tuesday, his ERA mushroomed from 3.44 to 5.22.

Tuesday was the third time in five starts he allowed at least six runs.

Leahy superb in homecoming

Where the extended appearances leaves Leahy and his availability in the coming days will be clearer in the hours following Tuesday night’s game. The Cardinals are already carrying one fewer reliever due to McGreevy remaining on the roster after his stellar start and win in Monday’s victory.

Leahy stemmed any momentum the Rockies had going from the moment he entered the game in the fourth inning.

The Erie, Colorado, kid who once pitched at Coors Field in high school, pitched around a double and a walk to do so in the fourth inning. He then struck out three batters around a run in the fifth, and the blitzed through a perfect inning in the sixth.

A few of his peers see Leahy as a potential starter and the Cardinals are intrigued by that too because of his mix of pitches and ability to miss bats. Leahy struck out seven in his 3 2/3 innings of relief that calmed the game for the Cardinals to at least attempt a rally.

Dynamic catch halts Cards rally

When the Cardinals were down 3-0, Victor Scott II drew a one-out walk in the top of the third inning. That brought the lineup around to the top with the speedster at first. Predictably, he took off for second when he had the chance.

His attempt just happened to coincide with a pitch crushed by Brendan Donovan.

The Cardinals’ All-Star sent a deep fly ball to right-center field. Scott was around third as the ball seemed destined to reach the wall – maybe even on the fly. And then, soaring in from his left, came Gold Glove-winning center fielder Brenton Doyle. He dove to catch the ball just before it touched grass, and then scrambled to his feet in plenty of time to throw out Scott at first for the double-up double play.

Cardinals nibble into lead

The chances to score did not end with Doyle’s catch as the Cardinals started dropping hits where even he could not catch them.

A trio of singles and a double in the fourth inning combined to give the Cardinals a two-run rally that had the potential to be more. Masyn Winn had the RBI single with two outs that added the second run, but when the inning ended there was Winn and Jordan Walker stranded on base. In the sixth inning, the Cardinals got back-to-back singles to start the inning – and then it went nowhere as neither runner advanced with a ball in play from any of the next three batters.

Walker lined out to second to end the inning with a teammate at third.

The Cardinals trimmed the lead by another run in the seventh inning when Scott again drew a one-out walk. Donovan pulled the ball down the right-field line – far from Doyle’s reach – for an RBI double. The inning ended like several other. The Cardinals had two on and less than two out and two consecutive batters failed to advance the runner.

In the eighth, pinch-hitter Yohel Pozo rescued the Cardinals from a missed opportunity with two outs. Walker tagged a ball off the wall in the deepest part of center field to revive the Cardinals. Pozo dropped a double down the line to score Walker and bring the Cardinals back within three – with just as many outs to go.

A scoreless ninth inning for the Cardinals came after they issued a bases-loaded walk to the Rockies to increase the lead.

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Photos: Cardinals drop second game of series vs. Rockies in Colorado

DENVER — Not too far from where John Mozeliak took his first step in professional baseball toward the mound to throw batting practice against a few sluggers in the Colorado Rockies’ inaugural lineup, the Cardinals’ longtime executive discussed the moves that could define how his tenure leading baseball operations comes to an end as his contract expires.

Coming out of the All-Star break, the Cardinals went cold in the desert, and after a weekend sweep by Arizona, Mozeliak conceded he’s exploring how selling at the upcoming trade deadline could benefit the club.

“Clearly the weekend was not what we wanted to see, and now we’ve got to understand what the future looks like,” said Mozeliak on Monday in the visitors dugout at Coors Field. “Where we are in the standings definitely affects our decision-making moving forward at the deadline. Playing those three games and losing all three is not helpful. Wanted to come out of the break having a positive start to it. We didn’t. As we reflect on what’s best for the organization, there is the longer view in terms of: Are there decisions that we can make that will better situate the franchise in 2026 and beyond?”

With the three losses to the Diamondbacks, the Cardinals (51-49) slipped 8 1/2 games back in the National League Central race and 3 1/2 games back in the wild-card race with two teams between them and the San Diego Padres (54-45).

Other teams have access to the standings too, and calls to the Cardinals picked up.

“I think people realized it was a tough week for us,” Mozeliak said. “Calls came in. ... First off, you’ve got to compete in your division, and we’ve got two teams that are really hot right now (Milwaukee, Cubs). Actually three (Reds). And that’s a challenge. And we’re not. We have to turn that around.”

The Cardinals are shopping starter Erick Fedde, a potential free agent, to create an opening in the rotation. They are fielding interest on relievers Ryan Helsley, Phil Maton and Steven Matz and let teams know as much after the series in Arizona. All three relievers are set to be free agents at the end of the year. The Cardinals expect to set a significant ask for Helsley, who they can present a qualifying offer at the end of the year to secure a draft pick as compensation or lock in the All-Star closer for the 2026 season. John King could also draw attention from teams.

According to sources not with the Cardinals, there are teams wondering if the Cardinals would entertain trading younger players at positions where other starters have emerged. Two examples would be Jordan Walker or Nolan Gorman.

Following policy as old as his tenure, Mozeliak does not discuss specific trade talks.

The Post-Dispatch asked if offers from other teams might shove the Cardinals into sell mode ahead of the July 31 trade deadline more than the standings or regardless of the standings.

“If there is something that seems too good to be true? Yeah,” Mozeliak said. “If there was something that made so much sense, obviously we would pursue it.”

In 2023, when the Cardinals had a losing record and clear motivation to sell, they sought pitching depth for the system, both in advanced arms and potential prospects. This year, pivoting into a sell mode would focus on a broader target. Mozeliak described his goal as “looking for the best talent and controllable talent.”

Those last two words describe players with several years under contract control and preferably not required to go onto the 40-player roster. The Cardinals could alleviate a logjam of players who require 40-player protection and give Chaim Bloom’s front office greater room to maneuver as it takes over baseball operations toward the end of this season.

“It gives Chaim and the next gen a little more time without the pressure of we just have to win next year,” Mozeliak said. “More freedom and flexibility.”

In the coming week, Mozeliak intends to approach third baseman Nolan Arenado to discuss his preferences as the trade deadline approaches. The Cardinals attempted to trade their Gold Glove third baseman this past winter as a way to reduce payroll — a stated goal of the offseason — and place him with a club that’s closer to contending for a World Series. He invoked his no-trade clause to veto a trade to the Houston Astros, and Arenado has said he will be picky when it comes to what team he would chose over finishing the season and possibly his career with the Cardinals.

Mozeliak came to Denver this week to gather with parents, who still live in the area, and other members of his family ahead of his final visit to Coors Field as leader of the Cardinals’ baseball operation.

He attended Monday night’s game with 12 guests.

A Colorado native, Mozeliak grew up in nearby Boulder, where went to school at Fairview High and the University of Colorado. In 1993, the expansion Rockies needed a left-hander they could trust to throw batting practice, and through a connection, Mozeliak was hired. On his first day, early in that first season of major league baseball in the Mountain Time Zone, he was tasked with throwing to Group 1 — essentially the middle of the order, with Andres Galarraga and Dante Bichette. While with the Rockies, Mozeliak learned from Don Zimmer, Don Baylor and longtime executive and general manager Bob Gebhard.

It was also there that Mozeliak met Walt Jocketty and eventually came with him to the Cardinals front office, where Mozeliak has been for three decades in roles ranging from scouting director leading the draft to general manager to his current title, president of baseball operations.

His last year with the Rockies was their first year at Coors Field, in 1995, and he was looking over that field when asked about how trades could shape what he leaves behind for the Cardinals — especially if compelling offers arrive for younger players.

“Putting emotions aside, if something were to make sense that allows us to feel like we’re improving for the future, then it might be worth a conversation,” Mozeliak said. “I don’t know if any of that will exist or that will happen. I don’t want to put ourselves in a situation where we don’t want to explore anything.”

Nootbaar, etc.

Lars Nootbaar has yet to swing a bat without pain in his left ribcage, Mozeliak said, and until he’s able to do that and do so consistently, it’s difficult for the Cardinals to put a timeline on the return of their outfielder from the injured list.

• Hours before Monday’s game against the Rockies, the Cardinals coaching staff discussed how they could alter Andre Pallante’s schedule in the coming weeks to alleviate some of the workload as the right-hander nears a career high in innings. Pallante is set to start Wednesday at Coors Field.
• The Cardinals, Mets and Cubs are the only National League teams yet to have a starter throw a complete game at Coors Field. The Cardinals did not have one at Mile High Stadium, either.

ӣ����Ƶ Cardinals

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DENVER — With only a few minutes to talk before bolting to catch the team bus late Monday night, Willson Contreras breezed through a comment on the power jolt his homer gave an idling offense. He paused instead to eagerly make the case for young starter Michael McGreevy to remain in the majors.

“I think he’s ready to stay here,” Contreras said. “Straight up.”

“I agree,” catcher Pedro Pages added from nearby.

After months of McGreevy yo-yoing between levels as an understudy called upon when the Cardinals needed a sixth starter or to cover a doubleheader, the lobbying for him to unpack and stick around started before he took the mound Monday at Coors Field. Manager Oliver Marmol expressed “hope” that McGreevy would remain in the majors and not head to Class AAA Memphis this time on the first available flight.

And then the right-hander went out and showed why with a season-high seven innings in a 6-2 victory against Colorado. The Cardinals overcame a two-run deficit, and while Contreras collected a home run and two RBIs, McGreevy got his best results by retiring 11 consecutive Rockies to coincide with the Cardinals’ rally.

“He doesn’t need to go back to Triple-A,” Contreras continued. “That’s my take, and I’m going to say it. He’s ready. He’s already shown a couple of times, and every time he comes here, he’s coming to pitch. And he pitches well. If it was my decision, I’d keep him here.

“He had a really good tempo,” the former catcher added. “He had really good body language, a really good attitude. He’s willing to listen, willing to learn and always asking questions. He has everybody’s back.”

Contreras then brushed his fingers over his left forearm.

“I’m getting chills because every time he’s here, he’s a good energy to have around.”

To make room on the active roster for McGreevy on Monday, the Cardinals optioned Gordon Graceffo to Triple-A Memphis. That’s how it’s gone all summer for a handful of right-handed pitchers. The Cardinals call for them. The Cardinals use them for multiple innings. The Cardinals return them to Memphis and swap them out for a fresh arm.

Rinse.

Repeat.

They even call it the “churn.” As a starter, McGreevy is more vulnerable to it because he’s expected to throw multiple innings — and then not again for five or six days. Him staying in the majors after a start would leave the staff short.

But as the season reached Game No. 101 Monday night, the equation is starting to change and the interest increases to keep McGreevy on staff, possibly in the rotation. By Tuesday, it appeared that Contreras and others were going to get their wish. McGreevy remained with the team and the schedule for his next appearance will be set in the coming days.

The Cardinals are exploring the marketplace to see if there are teams interested in starter Erick Fedde. Part of the motivation for that move ahead of the July 31 trade deadline is to clear a spot in the rotation for McGreevy.

On Monday, Marmol and members of his staff met to discuss adjusting starter Andre Pallante’s schedule as his workload nears a career high. Pallante is set to start Wednesday against the Rockies. McGreevy will be part of that plan. The right-hander could stay on turn for this weekend start against San Diego at home and allow for the Cardinals to flex or extend Pallante’s between-start rest as they did for lefty Matthew Liberatore.

They want to be open to McGreevy not giving up his grip on starts.

“I hope it’s not a spot start,” Marmol said in his office a few hours before McGreevy’s first pitch. “My hope is that he can stay with us. I hope it works out like that. I think there’s a lot of value in this next stretch for several reasons for him to get a taste of being around Dusty (Blake) and the pitching staff and game-planning and big league hitters and getting a taste for the ins and outs of that on a consistent basis.”

Beyond the obvious benefits of being around the clubhouse, the service time and the major league salary, there is also the message: He’s earned it.

The Cardinals have been candid with McGreevy since spring training about how he pitched well enough to open in the big league rotation, but the team was so concerned about its pitching depth that strategically, the team argued, it would be best to use him in a recurring role. At this spot in his career, he could move easily between levels, and the Cardinals bet with his disposition the former first-round pick could handle oscillating between the Cardinals and Redbirds.

While the Cardinals advertised “runway” for young players, McGreevy’s was far more literal as he spent time jetting between levels.

And there was an added degree of difficulty with the role.

His first big league start of this season came against the billion-dollar Mets. His second start, a month later, was against the defending World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers. His fourth — 16 days later — was against the division-leading Cubs. And then, coming out of the break, the Cardinals dialed up their minuteman starter and brought him to the majors again.

And it’s Coors.

Time to learn on the job how that sinker works at elevation.

“You’ve always got to view every opportunity as a test,” McGreevy said. “It’s a great opportunity to get better each time out, a great time to prove you’re a big league pitcher.”

“We wouldn’t do it if we didn’t think he was mentally tough enough to handle it,” Marmol explained. “Or we felt like if it didn’t go well he would be set back by it. He has a strong mentality. The demeanor — I mean it every time and I lead with that because I know that is what is going to continue to allow him to be good. He is stubborn about just doing what it is that gives him success.”

McGreevy (2-1) gave them plenty of examples Monday.

The Rockies got a base hit to lead off the first three innings against McGreevy. Colorado ran itself out of one rally with two outs on the bases, including one at home plate when the runner tried to advance on a grounder to shortstop. They gave McGreevy a gift in the first inning with a bunt. He then got two ground outs. In the third inning, the Rockies capitalized on an error in center field, two bloop singles and a ground-ball single for a 2-0 lead. McGreevy leaned into his sinker with runners on to get a hotshot grounder that Masyn Winn spun into a double play.

A few feet in any other direction and the inning kept going, and if it did, McGreevy would have stayed with the same stuff until the ball found a fielder.

“It’s all the many pitches I’ve thrown in my life and just trying to trust what I feel as a pitcher,” McGreevy said. “You’re never going to be 100% with what the ball is going to do here. There were some sinkers I threw that cut. Just throw it. Pick a spot and just rip it.”

The double play started McGreevy’s run of 11 consecutive Rockies retired.

During that stretch of four innings, the Cardinals scored in every inning to overtake the Rockies and widen their lead to four runs. And McGreevy started to get a feel for pitching at Coors. The former first-round pick builds his game on sinker command and grounders. He plays a slider off that pitch. Both pitches behaved differently a mile above sea level, and McGreevy had to adjust.

When a single snapped his streak of outs, McGreevy used his curveball more often to finish the seventh inning and pass the game and the lead to the bullpen.

The Rockies did not put any of McGreevy’s 11 curveballs in play.

“The game gives and takes,” he said. “The cutter and curveball were really essential.”

McGreevy, 25, comes straight out of Cardinals central casting: a right-hander from a strong college program who has a sinker and feel for other pitches that allow him to pitch to contact. He got one strikeout in his seven innings Monday. But he also didn’t walk anyone and scattered seven hits — all of them singles. Nine of his 21 outs came on the ground, and at least one used the dimensions of Coors Field to its benefit for a fly out. But he’s not reliant on one pitch to chase meek grounders and that gives him a different look than other contact pitchers.

The Rockies saw six distinct pitches from McGreevy, five of them at least 10 times.

Late Monday night, McGreevy had yet to hear if he should pack up for a flight or, more likely this time, keep ready for a longer spell in the majors.

He made his case.

The manager welcomed it.

Several teammates championed it.

“Whatever happens happens,” McGreevy said. “I understand how this business works. I’m always stoked beyond my mind to get a chance to pitch in the big leagues, and if I stay here for the rest of the year, great. If I go down tomorrow, oh well. You have to smile through it all.”

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DENVER — Don’t let the elevation fool you: Few things can pump lots of air into a deflated team and its flat offense better than a visit to Coors Field.

Sparked first by a solo home run by Willson Contreras that jolted the lineup out of a stupor, the Cardinals peppered Colorado with a 15 hits to rally and then run away with 6-2 victory Monday night. Contreras went 3 for 5 with two RBIs, and shortstop Masyn Winn added three hits as the Cardinals scored four consecutive innings to back a superb start by rookie Michael McGreevy.

Back for a fifth time from Class AAA Memphis – and perhaps this time to stay – McGreevy pitched a season-high seven innings and stymied the Rockies through the middle of the game as the Cardinals’ offense stirred.

After misspent weekend in Arizona that included a whole lot of deficits and zero wins, the Cardinals emerged from the All-Star break and the desert parched for runs.

The series went so poorly against the Diamondbacks that it nudged the team closer to selling at the trade deadline on July 31.

The first few innings against Austin Gomber, the lefty starter they long ago traded to Colorado in the Nolan Arenado deal, didn’t give any indication the Cardinals were close to shaking loose from the funk. The game began with a pair of singles only to screech to scoreless first with three fly outs. The Cardinals pressed on later – with nine more hits against Gomber and a mathematical dissection of the Rockies’ early lead.

The Cardinals produced a run in every inning from the fourth through the seventh but never more than two runs for a tidy series on the line score: 2-1-2-1.

McGreevy makes firm bid to stay

Hours before the young right-hander threw a pitch, manager Oliver Marmol made it clear how he wanted the next few days to go: “I hope it’s not a spot start.”

For the first 100 games of this season that has been exactly McGreevy’s role. He spot-started as the No. 6 starter. He spot-started for a doubleheader. He spot-started when the Cardinals needed to build-in a break for the other starters. His appearance Monday at Coors Field – ostensibly to buy lefty Matthew Liberatore a break this turn through the rotation – was McGreevy’s fifth spot start of the regular season.

He made a strong case for it to be his last.

McGreevy (2-1) pitched through the seventh inning and limited the Rockies to two runs on seven hits. The runs came on a series of bloops and bounders that McGreevy quickly quelled with a double play. That double play started McGreevy’s streak of retiring 11 consecutive Rockies. That coincided with the Cardinals generating the rallies that took the lead, added to the lead, and ultimately secured the win.

McGreevy needed 91 pitches to complete seven innings.

Nine of the outs came on the ground.

Burleson leaves game with bruised foot

Outfielder Alec Burleson fouled a ball off his right foot and had X-rays at Coors Field to determine if there was a fracture. The X-rays did not show any damage, Burleson said after the game. He said it was painful and difficult to run because of the bruising on top of his right foot. The Cardinals considered him day-to-day, and he will test the foot Tuesday to see if he can put weight on it and twist and turn in ways needed to hit, run, or play the field. 

Situationally sound hit collecting

With so few home runs this season to nourish the offense, the Cardinals need innings exactly like they got in the sixth inning to cook.

A mix of singles ready to mingle with situational hitting added to the lead.

The Cardinals first seized that lead in the top of the fifth when Contreras’ brought home Brendan Donovan to snap the 2-2 tie. To that point in the game, every Cardinals’ rally had involved an RBI from Contreras. The lineup cobbled together the breakaway runs without his help – but help from so many other corners.

Arenado singled – and stole second.

Jordan Walker singled – and took third on a base hit.

Pedro Pages fell behind 0-2, eventually singled, and brought home Arenado.

Victor Scott II? He bunted and outran the throw for a base hit that loaded the bases.

When the inning got back around to Donovan, the Cardinals’ All-Star and leadoff hitter skied a ball to deep center field that assured Walker would score on the sacrifice fly. The two-run jag that pushed the Cardinals out to a 5-2 lead included four singles, a steal, a bunt, that sacrifice fly, and a tag up from first. Two of the singles were Walker and Scott outrunning throws to first base. The inning ended with a groundout, but the scoring did picked back up in the seventh.

Contreras got back involved.

He led off with a double and scored on Walker’s RBI.

Third times the charm for Rockies

Having bunted and then run their way out of potential rallies in the first two innings, Colorado managed to take advantage of some fortune in the third inning.

For the third time in as many innings, the Rockies got their leadoff batter on base against McGreevy. In the first inning, Mickey Moniak singled only to have the inning come apart when a teammate gave up an out to bunt him into scoring position. In the second inning, Ryan McMahon singled to right to begin the second inning. He was thrown at home, and teammate Brenton Doyle was caught stealing for two outs on the bases in the inning.

Take 3: No. 9 hitter Adael Amador flared a single to left to start the third.

The Rockies didn’t exactly drill any of McGreevy’s pitches in the inning, but they flipped and threaded enough bases hits in the third inning to pair with an error for a 2-0 lead. Amador scored when center fielder Victor Scott II misplayed a base hit to center. Two batters later, Moniak scored from second on a base hit that slipped through to center field.

Masyn Winn backhanded a blistering grounder to start the double play that got McGreevy out of the inning and kept Colorado from adding to its 2-0 lead.

Contreras muscles Cardinals back

One pitch into the top of the fourth, the Cardinals began their answer.

Contreras catapulted Gomber’s first pitch for a 443-foot home run that immediately cleaved Colorado’s lead in half and set the theme for the Cardinals’ outburst to tie the game. Contreras’ 13th homer of the season did what the Cardinals could not all weekend in the Arizona – answer before a game got away.

Teammates Arenado and Winn then followed with back-to-back doubles to knot the game, 2-2. Arenado poked his double down the first-base line, and Winn pulled his down the third-base line. Winn’s 20th double of the season brought Arenado home for the tying run.

Like the Rockies, the Cardinals had squandered an earlier chance. The game began with back-to-back singles for the Cardinals before Gomber got three consecutive fly outs to keep the first inning scoreless. The next chance the Cardinals had with a runner in scoring position they got an extra-base hit to level the score.

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PHOENIX — Even though the Cardinals sent the game-tying run to the plate in their last chance to avoid a three-game sweep Sunday at Chase Field, the impacts of a lineup that stalled to start and missed an opportunity in the fifth inning shaped the final result before the ninth inning ended.

Trailing 5-1 after starter Miles Mikolas surrendered a three-run homer in the first inning to Eugenio Suarez and a solo homer in the fifth inning, also to Suarez, the Cardinals loaded the bases with no outs in the top half of the fifth against Diamondbacks starter Merrill Kelly. They pushed across one run on a ground-out from leadoff hitter Brendan Donovan but saw their opening to a big inning close with a strikeout from Ivan Herrera and a ground-out by Alec Burleson.

The Cardinals (51-49) threatened a comeback in the ninth inning when Jordan Walker doubled in a run with two outs. The threat was quieted by a fly-out from Victor Scott II that secured the Diamondbacks a 5-3 win and left the Cardinals with a third consecutive loss to open the second half of the regular season.

“We needed to have more productive at-bats than we did today,” Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said. “You had the shot there with the bases loaded. We didn't capitalize entirely on it. Just being able to execute at a higher level. I'm glad we got the tying run up to the plate. A little ahead of it, Scott there, but a decent swing. But at the end of the day, I think we needed to create more opportunities than we did.”

With starters Andre Pallante and Sonny Gray combining to allow 15 runs in starts on Friday and Saturday, Mikolas and the Cardinals found themselves down 4-0 before the end of the first inning in the series finale.

Mikolas surrendered a leadoff triple to Corbin Carroll, allowed Carroll to score on a fielder’s choice that put Geraldo Perdomo on base and, after a walk, surrendered the first of two homers Suarez hit Sunday — one of four he hit during the weekend series.

“I'd ask somebody else. I don't have a good answer for you right there, obviously,” Mikolas said when asked how to pitch to Suarez.

Mikolas retired seven of the next eight batters he faced before allowing the solo homer to Suarez, an All-Star and one of the top trade chips heading into the July 31 deadline, in the third inning.

The four innings Mikolas provided brought the innings total of the Cardinals’ starting staff to 12 in the three-game series. His five runs tallied the total runs allowed by Cardinals starters over the three-game stretch to 20. The first he surrendered left the Cardinals trailing by three or more runs after the first inning for the second time in back-to-back games.

"It does, but that shouldn't be an excuse," Marmol said of the pressure an early deficit can put on an offense. "You have to be able to separate it and just take care of business and still take productive at-bats and continue to grind out at-bats and keep the line moving. Yes and no. You have to still overcome that."

Upon Mikolas' exit, relievers Steven Matz, Riley O’Brien, JoJo Romero and Ryan Helsley each logged their first innings of the second half and turned in scoreless outings.

“All those guys needed to touch the baseball today,” Marmol said. “Regardless of if we were up or down, we were going to map it out the way we did. I could have let (Mikolas) try to get one more, but I think the score might have changed on us if we didn't. I felt like we did the right thing at the right time.”

Looking for a response to the early hole, Scott's double in the third inning and successful steal of third base put the speedster in position to score with ease on an RBI single from Herrera that gave the Cardinals their first run.

Two innings later, the Cardinals had their chance to break through and potentially chase Kelly from his start as his command faltered.

Kelly issued three consecutive walks to begin the fifth inning, giving the Cardinals a chance to hit with the bases loaded and no outs just as the top of their lineup was due.

Donovan, the Cardinals’ lone All-Star this season, fouled off three of the first five pitches he saw before rolling a grounder to first base on the sixth pitch of his at-bat. Herrera, who entered Sunday with a .400 batting average over 45 at-bats with runners in scoring position, chased and whiffed on the final two pitches he saw of his at-bat. And Burleson, whose .293 batting average and .810 on-base plus slugging percentage have elevated him into a starting role, pulled a grounder to first base to end an inning that could have catapulted the Cardinals back into Sunday's series finale. 

“You have the guys that you want up, and unfortunately, we can only scratch a run. That's where you want to throw up a crooked number,” Marmol said. “I felt we went to the (bullpen) at the right spot and gave ourselves a shot. They didn't score. Once we went to the (bullpen), those guys did a really nice job and gave us the best opportunity to try to come back in that game. We just didn't have enough.”

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Former Cardinals star Matt Holliday steered the high road after his son Ethan was drafted by the hapless Colorado Rockies with the fourth overall pick earlier this month.

After all, Holliday played for the Rockies during their better times early in his career, then again at the end of his playing days.

“The organization has a special place in my heart, in our family’s heart and our lives,” Holliday said on draft night. “And it’s a cool story. It’s exciting for him and the organization.

“This year is obviously not going great, but it doesn’t take much to get things like this turned around.”

Um, yeah, about that ...

The Rockies last reached the postseason in 2018, with current Cardinal Nolan Arenado playing a key role and Matt Holliday chipping in at the end.

After that, Colorado went 71-91 in 2019, followed by a 26-34 finish during the pandemic year. The pain intensified after that with 74-87, 68-94, 59-103, 61-101 campaigns, then a 24-74 struggle this season through Saturday’s play.

Yes, the Rockies face inherent challenges. Denver is a hitter’s paradise with its mile-high altitude, and that reality has taken a heavy toll on pitchers. The team has only reached the postseason five times since its 1992 inception.

But ownership malaise has been the biggest obstacle. The Monfort family, with Dick Monfort running point as chairman and chief operating officer, allowed the baseball operation to fall into disrepair.

Coors Field anchors a terrific entertainment district, so fans keep coming for the party despite the perennial failure. The Rockies drew more 2.5 million fans during the previous three seasons.

With revenues still pouring in, the Monforts have felt no urgency to change course. lists the Rockies’ total payroll at roughly $126 million, which ranks in the bottom third of the majors.

This is old guard family ownership having fallen out of step with the aggressive billionaires moving into Our National Pastime. As chairman of the owner’s labor policy committee, Dick Monfort will likely lead the charge for a salary cap during bargaining for the next collective bargaining agreement.

(Of course, the players association would likely rather force a lockout than agree to a cap. They would prefer a CBA that penalizes also-rans that don’t spend. Sharing revenues with lesser markets doesn’t work, as some franchises are content to pocket the money and lose. Our suggestion: force teams to spend to a payroll floor or lose draft positioning and/or some of their international bonus pool.)

Anyway, the only time Rockies management made a huge baseball investment in recent years — by signing free-agent slugger Kris Bryant, a player Monfort long coveted — the decision backfired horribly.

Bryant, 33, signed a seven-year, $182 million contract in 2022. Since then, he has hit just 17 homers while struggling with back, ribcage, foot and finger injuries.

And the team’s suffering continues unabated. With the Rockies careening toward one of the worst finishes in baseball history, maybe, just maybe, the Monfort family is ready to reset.

The changes started earlier this season with the firing of hitting coach Hensley Meulens. Next to go were manager Bud Black, who posted a 544-690 record before finally getting cashiered in his ninth season, and bench coach Mike Redmond.

An epic 21-0 loss to the San Diego Padres was the last straw. That was Colorado’s 33rd loss in 39 games.

“I don’t think Casey Stengel could change the outcome of that ballclub, and that’s not the manager’s fault,” Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts sniffed. “But obviously, they felt they needed a change in voice or direction. But for me, there’s not many people that are better than Buddy Black. So yeah, that’s very disappointing. It is certainly not his doing.”

President and Chief Operating Officer Greg Feasel is getting squeezed out after a 30-year front office run. Walker Monfort, Dick’s son, is assuming day-to-day control.

With changes occurring above and below him on the organizational chart, bumbling general manager Bill Schmidt appears imperiled.

Rival teams are watching this upheaval closely, as third baseman Ryan McMahon, starting pitcher Germán Márquez and reliever Jake Bird are among the veterans the Rockies could put on the trade block.

Trading them could bring a nice prospect haul. Such additions, combined with new cornerstone Ethan Holliday and few good young veterans already in place, could create a potential turning point.

Co-owner Charlie Monfort offered fans a ray of hope earlier this season with this admission to the Denver Post:

“I think we need a new set of eyeballs. We need to give someone the opportunity. Someone who knows baseball and has lived and breathed baseball, and sometimes, died with baseball. Someone who knows everything that all of the good teams we face do, from grassroots on up. Someone who is going to stand by their decisions because they are going to live with it.”

Hmmm ... that sounds like a job for Matt Holliday, who seems ready to jump back into Our National Pastime to give his old team badly needed help.

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