5 Reasons The St. Louis Cardinals Won’t Make The Playoffs In 2016

4. Nothing Was Done to Improve Mediocre Offense

Last season the Cardinals won more in spite of their offense than because of it. St. Louis ranked 24th in runs scored per game and 27th in runners stranded. In most other offensive categories, the Cardinals were in the bottom half of Major League Baseball.

What has the front office done in response to this deficiency? Banked on a delay in attrition in some players, a healthy return to productivity in others and a continued upward trend in others. In simpler terms, they’re hoping that things get better.

There are multiple problems with that plan. The reality is that the progression of players is never linear, so the hopes that young players like Randal Grichuk and Kolten Wong will immediately turn into players who drive in 50 runs and hit .300 without any dips in production are foolish.

It’s possible that veterans like Holliday and Molina might not suffer a serious drop in production this season, but that isn’t a matter of if, but when. Additionally, if Adams can’t stay healthy or produce like he did in his first season in the bigs, this offense could be sorely lacking run production again in 2016.

Next: 3. Improvements in the Division