They sit at .500 two months into the season. They have lost seven consecutive series and 16 of their last 22 games. They haven’t won back-to-back games during May.
Shuffling the batting order didn’t stir change and neither did a players’ meeting.
The Cardinals can’t fire manager Mike Matheny and hitting coach John Mabry again, so the management team must focus on the roster. Near-term adjustments are needed and tough long-term decisions loom.
He landed the emerging David Freese for the faded Jim Edmonds. He sent middling prospects to Oakland for Matt Holliday. He swapped moping Colby Rasmus for critical pitching help during the 2011 title run.