St. Louis Cardinals did what Washington Nationals could not

The St. Louis Cardinals and Washington Nationals were the leaders in the clubhouse dysfunction standings. However, the Cardinals did something about their problems, as opposed to the Nationals.

There were a lot of problems with the St. Louis Cardinals over the past few weeks. There were issues with former manager Mike Matheny and outfielder Dexter Fowler. Closer Bud Norris reportedly had a rough relationship, with Norris being a constant thorn in the rookie’s side. Even though Matheny was mercifully axed, the troubles were still there.

Meanwhile, on the East Coast, the Washington Nationals also reportedly had a dysfunctional clubhouse. The respected Dusty Baker had been replaced with neophyte Dave Martinez, a move that may well have been a mistake. There has been a lack of hustle, sniping of other players on the team, and the feeling that players were marginalized. Stephen Strasburg and Max Scherzer were involved in a heated argument in the dugout. This is not a cohesive unit.

As both teams headed towards the trade deadline, they found themselves in a position to fundamentally shake up the roster. Both teams had playoff aspirations that were still alive, and yet, something was wrong. Something needed to change.

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For better or worse, the Cardinals did just that. They essentially scuttled their entire relief crew, sending Greg Holland and Tyler Lyons out the door, and trading Sam Tuivailala to the Mariners. Tommy Pham, who was reportedly unhappy, was sent to the Rays. These may not have been major moves, but they were a sign that things needed to change. The Cardinals needed to get back to The Cardinal Way of handling their business, and were clearing out malcontents.

Meanwhile, the Nationals did the opposite. They essentially kept the same team, aside from trading Brandon Kintzler to the Cubs. Kintzler had wanted to stay in Washington, and there had been little discussion of the Nationals moving on from the reliever. However, the Nationals relievers had questions about how Martinez was handling them, Kintzler among them. However, he was not a malcontent or one of the apparent problems on the team.

This was a tale of two teams facing similar issues. In this case, the two teams took different approaches, with the Cardinals deciding to change the roster and the Nationals basically standing still. This is also an example of the Cardinals being able to do something that the Nationals cannot, with their foundation of stability and belief in their system winning out over talent, the type of moves made by a team confident in their abilities.

In some ways, it hearkens back to when the Red Sox surprisingly shipped Nomar Garciaparra out of town at the 2004 trade deadline. While these moves are not at the same level, the purpose is similar. The clubhouse needed a change, and a change was made.

Meanwhile, the Nationals were not in the same situation. They were built to win now, a mantra that the front office still believes. However, given their situation, with a first year manager and a plethora of free agents, the Nationals were simply unable to make that move. In the end, by standing still, Washington may end up regretting that decision.

The St. Louis Cardinals believe in their system and The Cardinal Way. This allows them to make moves that a team like the Washington Nationals cannot.