When the St. Louis Cardinals named John Mozeliak the 12th general manager in franchise history on October 31, 2007, the 38-year-old made two things clear: first, that everything he did would be about helping the Cardinals win. Secondly, that he planned to be aggressive in free agency and the trade market to make that happen.
“I want (the fans) to know we are committed to winning – and creating a successful environment that will allow us to compete,” Mozeliak said. “Everyone knows the landscape’s changing at the major-league level, and we have to adapt. As we move forward, we are prepared to do so.”[1]
When reporters asked Mozeliak what that meant in regard to free agents and the trade market, he doubled down, even with the man who would sign such paychecks – team Chairman Bill DeWitt – seated beside him.
“We have to be prepared to up the ante if we want to be part of those deals,” Mozeliak said. Later he added, ‘I’m not Walt Jocketty Jr.’”[2]
Mozeliak’s remarks came four weeks after the Cardinals fired Jocketty on October 3, ending his 13-year tenure with the team. The later years of Jocketty’s leadership had been marred by internal tensions with Jeff Luhnow, who oversaw the team’s scouting, drafting, and player development.[3]
When Jocketty was fired, Mozeliak was named interim general manager. Rather than waiting for a permanent successor to be named, Mozeliak seized the reins, completing contract extension with free agent pitchers Joel Pineiro and Russ Spring and finalizing contracts for the 2008 season with manager Tony La Russa’s coaching staff. He also picked up closer Jason Isringhausen’s $8 million option.
“I can tell you I was extremely impressed with what he got done,” team president Mark Lamping said. “We didn’t miss a step, we took a step forward.”[4]
Of course, that didn’t mean that Mozeliak was the only candidate for the job. The Cardinals also considered a number of assistant general managers from around the league, including the Indians’ Chris Antonetti, Rick Hahn of the White Sox, the Diamondbacks’ Peter Woodfork, and the Padres’ Paul Depodesta.[5] The Cardinals interviewed Antonetti, Woodfork, and Hahn, as well as Jon Weil, the manager of minor leagues for the Rockies.[6]
Antonetti initially appeared to be the frontrunner for the position. Just days earlier, Antonetti and his wife visited St. Louis and engaged in three days of talks with DeWitt and Lamping. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported that those talks included discussion of compensation.[7] When those talks concluded, Antonetti withdrew his name from consideration, raising concern and speculation from observers.
“The Cardinals’ highly agitated fan base is wondering what Mozeliak’s promotion really means,” wrote St. Louis Post-Dispatch columnist Bernie Miklasz. “The predominant theory: Cleveland assistant GM Chris Antonetti turned down the St. Louis job and Mozeliak was the second choice, the safe pick, a symbol of the status quo. And that the GM post was structured in such an unappealing way that it scared off talented outside candidates, so DeWitt had to turn to Mozeliak, the faithful servant.[8]
The Cardinals, meanwhile, emphasized that they had never offered Antonetti the job.
“The job was offered to one person. It was offered yesterday afternoon to Mo. He accepted the job,” team president Mark Lamping said.[9]
For his part, Antonetti indicated that his decision was swayed primarily by discussions with the Indians, who wished to keep him within their organization.
“The St. Louis opportunity is a phenomenal opportunity,” he said. “There has seemingly been an undercurrent about reservations I had or someone had. I had no reservations about St. Louis.”[10]
In Mozeliak, the Cardinals were promoting an executive who had been with the organization since 1995, when both he and Jocketty left the Rockies to work in St. Louis. After working in both scouting and player development, he was named assistant scouting director in 1998, scouting director in 1999, and then director of baseball operations in 2001.
In 2003, Jocketty named Mozeliak his assistant general manager. For each of the next two years, Mozeliak ran the Cardinals’ amateur drafts before Luhnow was named scouting director in 2005 and assumed that responsibility.
“Mo has been instrumental in our success this decade,” DeWitt said. “He brings a great deal of strength to all areas of our operation.”[11]
Just as important as his experience was DeWitt’s ability to bridge the divide between Luhnow’s analytics and the more old-school approach Jocketty had represented. Under Mozeliak’s leadership, the Cardinals would blend input from the analytics department and La Russa’s coaching staff.
“I really think the biggest difference is going to be how we make decisions, how we get there, and really looking at the process,” Mozeliak said.[12]
La Russa, who had managed the club since 1996, supported Mozeliak’s hire.
“Tony was very supportive,” DeWitt said. “I stayed in touch with him regularly on the various candidates and spoke with him again last night. He’s looking forward to working with the group.”[13]
“Knowing that he felt comfortable with me as the next general manager made me feel good about this,” Mozeliak said. “I would have been very hesitant had he not.”[14]
At the same time, Mozeliak’s relationship with Luhnow would add harmony to a front office that had been divided between Jocketty and Luhnow.
“I think a lot of that’s been overstated, but I will say this: My working relationship with Jeff is outstanding,” Mozeliak said. “As we look forward, obviously what he’s done to this point has allowed us to make better decisions. … It would be ludicrous of me to ignore that.”[15]
The Cardinals’ success under Jocketty continued under Mozeliak. In 2011, he made a key trade that helped propel the club to its 11th World Series championship, and in 2013 the team won another National League pennant. From 2008 through 2022, Mozeliak’s Cardinals teams recorded 15 consecutive winning seasons, reaching the playoffs 10 times.
As of 2023, however, the Cardinals have not won a playoff series since 2019 and have won just one since 2014.
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[1] Joe Strauss, “Mozeliak is named Cards GM,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, November 1, 2007.
[2] Bernie Miklasz, “‘I’m not Walt Jocketty Jr.,’” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, November 1, 2007.
[3] Bernie Miklasz, “‘I’m not Walt Jocketty Jr.,’” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, November 1, 2007.
[4] “Mozeliak replaces Jocketty as Cards’ GM,” Belleville News-Democrat, November 1, 2007.
[5] Joe Strauss, “Mozeliak is named Cards GM,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, November 1, 2007.
[6] “Mozeliak replaces Jocketty as Cards’ GM,” Belleville News-Democrat, November 1, 2007.
[7] Joe Strauss, “Mozeliak is named Cards GM,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, November 1, 2007.
[8] Bernie Miklasz, “‘I’m not Walt Jocketty Jr.,’” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, November 1, 2007.
[9] Joe Strauss, “Mozeliak is named Cards GM,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, November 1, 2007.
[10] Joe Strauss, “Mozeliak is named Cards GM,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, November 1, 2007.
[11] “Mozeliak replaces Jocketty as Cards’ GM,” Belleville News-Democrat, November 1, 2007.
[12] Joe Strauss, “Mozeliak is named Cards GM,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, November 1, 2007.
[13] “Mozeliak replaces Jocketty as Cards’ GM,” Belleville News-Democrat, November 1, 2007.
[14] Joe Strauss, “Mozeliak is named Cards GM,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, November 1, 2007.
[15] Joe Strauss, “Mozeliak is named Cards GM,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, November 1, 2007.
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