St. Louis Cardinals fans have hit their annual midseason low. The team is struggling with inconsistency and frustration, and its impact shows across the fanbase. John Mozeliak, President of Baseball Operations, and the front office have been facing heavy criticism for their handling of roster decisions and long-term moves.

On the other hand, manager Oliver Marmol has been clear about his limits and constraints of power. He has made it clear to fans that there are decisions he has no say over. In a recent interview on the Foul Territory podcast, Marmol addressed the limitations of his job when he said, “There’s things that are out of my control.” He followed this up later by saying, “I can only do my part, and that’s what I try to focus on.”

Marmol’s words highlight his awareness of the Cardinals’ current situation. While he has a major role in game-day decisions and team culture, much of the roster construction and organizational moves are out of his hands.

Regarding Mozeliak, two weeks ago, he was asked in a pregame interview (can be found here Katie Woo Athletic Article) about the idea of bringing young starting pitcher Michael McGreevy up to the big leagues in response to poor veteran starting pitcher performances. His response—“(McGreevy) is a major-league pitcher, there’s just not a spot open”—left many fans very displeased. It continued to feed into the belief among fans that Mozeliak has made questionable decisions as the team’s GM and doesn’t put the fans first. It would make the most sense to pull up proven starting pitching in the midst of the team’s lows, especially when they are still above .500 and have been within playoff reach the whole season. Going into the 2025 season, the front office was adamant that the new path they wanted to take would benefit the youth of the organization—and if that resulted in winning, that would be great. That is exactly what has happened for the Cardinals this season, as they’ve been multiple games over .500 and within playoff reach while using their young players. Yet now they appear to be backpedaling.

On July 21, after a poorly played series against the 26-76 Rockies, Mozeliak offered some insight into the possibility of team moves as the trade deadline approaches. “Clearly, the weekend was not what we wanted… As we reflect… there is a longer view… Are there decisions that we can make that would better situate the franchise in [2026] and beyond?” he said, adding that conversations about no-trade clause veterans like Nolan Arenado, Sonny Gray, Willson Contreras, and Miles Mikolas remain ongoing. These remarks suggest that the organization is considering being sellers at this deadline as a result of recent struggles. The big question fans are still asking is: if the root of the issue is starting pitching—and we have young pitchers we know can succeed—along with the overarching goal this season of getting reps for our youth, then why haven’t we made these simple changes? We have solutions to our problems within our farm system that would keep us in the postseason race, yet now we are just giving up.

This displeasure from fans has been made abundantly clear on social media, most especially on X (formerly Twitter). Many have called out the front office for what they see as a lack of urgency, with posts demanding accountability and questioning why younger prospects aren’t being given a chance. Hashtags criticizing Mozeliak and Marmol have trended after rough losses and series, and some fans argue that the organization’s unwillingness to pivot quickly is tarnishing the franchise’s winning tradition. It appears Cardinals fans almost feel as if they care more about the team than the front office, and after two poor seasons (2023 and 2024), it’s becoming clearer that the happiness of the fans is not the priority.

The tension between the front office and fans lies in their continuously differing timelines for winning. While Mozeliak and his staff seem focused on 2026 and beyond, the fanbase expects a return to postseason contention now—especially with the talent already on the roster, veteran leadership, and the winning history of the team always being consistent. The challenge for management is finding a way to both honor the club’s history of consistent competitiveness and build a reliable future. Whether the Cardinals can navigate this turning point without losing their loyal supporters will likely become clear throughout the rest of the season—and will shape the franchise’s direction for years to come.