ST. LOUIS -- Within the guts of his offseason autopsy of a 2023 season that declined in so many ways for a Cardinals team he constructed, president of baseball operations John Mozeliak identified one symptom he felt had seeped in and metastasized within the body of the organization.

“There was probably a little bit of arrogance,” Mozeliak said of Saturday’s start to the club’s Winter Warm-up fanfest at Busch Stadium and the adjoining Ballpark Village, referring to the franchise’s 15-year streak of winning records prior to bottoming out in 2023. “When you do something as long as I've done it, approaching it in that way [with arrogance] is not helpful. You have to have a little sense of humility on what can happen and realize that it's hard to keep everyone happy.

“We’re still trying to be true to how we make decisions and why we make decisions, but we have decided to tinker a little bit with how we make decisions, because clearly how we did it last year didn't work. But on a personal level, it's about understanding that mistakes do happen.”

After decades of abiding by the proven maxims of “The Cardinal Way,” the franchise made the bold decision to hire former Rays and Red Sox baseball chief Chaim Bloom as an advisor this offseason to try and be more open to new ideas and outside perspectives. That move was sparked, of course, by the Cardinals falling flat in 2023 and finishing in last place in their division for the first time in 33 years. On Saturday, Mozeliak both downplayed the hiring of Bloom in “a part-time role” and played up the importance of needing a successor when he steps away from the job he currently holds following the 2025 season.

“I think I’m starting my 17th season in this seat, so it’s probably reasonable to think that having a different voice at some point would make a lot of sense,” Mozeliak said. “A lot of people are sort of jumping to conclusions with the Chaim hire, but I would say at the very least it strengthens our bench. Where it leads to, we’ll see. … I feel pretty good about where the organization is, but there are also some things that are going to change over time. I want to make sure we’re positioned in that [solid] way.”

The Cardinals certainly didn’t like where they were positioned last season as the owners of a losing record for the first time since 2007 and outside of the playoffs for the first time since '18. They acted swiftly and aggressively not long after the free-agent courting period began by signing potential ace Sonny Gray and proven veterans Lance Lynn and Kyle Gibson. With superstar cornerstones Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado and their everyday lineup still intact, the Cardinals feel their retooled starting staff will make them playoff contenders again in 2024.

Gray, 34, was the runner-up for the AL Cy Young Award last season. After being around the organization over the past six weeks and talking with manager Oliver Marmol, pitching coach Dusty Blake and Goldschmidt, Gray said the Cardinals have shown an intentionality of wanting to win big again.

“I think it shows a commitment to winning, and they’re an organization that’s not content with losing or rebuilding; it’s about putting the best product on the field for these fans,” said Gray, who had the AL’s best ERA (2.03) after Aug. 1 with the Twins. “This organization wants to win year in and year out, and I'm looking forward to coming here to win as many games as possible. I want to work and learn and win as many games as possible.”

Mozeliak said one of the things the Cardinals might have underestimated before last season’s collapse was the effect losing the leadership of Albert Pujols, Yadier Molina and Adam Wainwright would have on the club. Molina, the franchise’s iconic catcher for 19 seasons, will return in an advisory role that will be hammered out more in the coming weeks, Mozeliak said. He also noted that he was drawn to Gray and Lynn because of their toughness and their willingness to speak up, and to Gibson because of his friendly persona.

With their retooled pitching staff in place, Mozeliak feels the Cardinals have all the pieces to bring playoff baseball back to St. Louis following one forgettable season.

“The fact is, you’ve got to get to October before you can worry about winning in October,” Mozeliak said. “For us, we feel like we’re going to be able to compete in the [NL] Central and expectations are high. We believe in this team and we believe in our everyday club.”