The St. Louis Cardinals opened their season amidst a significant transition, following the departure of longstanding executive John Mozeliak. Notably, while Nolan Arenado and Sonny Gray remained with the team, offseason rumors suggested potential trades. This marks a shift as the franchise, after a poor 2023 season, aims to reset amid declining attendance and revenue. Despite a promising start with a series win against the Twins, attendance records fell to historic lows, indicating challenges ahead for the storied franchise as they seek to revive their competitive edge.
When the rain finally lifted after a 90-minute delay and the St. Louis Cardinals opened their season in front of 47,395 red-clad fans at Busch Stadium, two long-familiar sights were a bit of a surprise to anyone who followed the offseason rumor mill.
A winter dealing away veteran players seemed likely. The Cardinals rarely go through these downturns, when rumors center on them trading stars instead of acquiring them.
But that came to an end in 2023 when St. Louis bottomed out, going 71-91 before bouncing back with an 83-win season in 2024.
Even while sweeping the Twins on opening weekend, attendance dropped after the first game with record-low numbers attending Busch Stadium -- including just 21,206 and 20,309 for two games against the Los Angeles Angels.
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