Cardinals Struggle as Brewers Clinch Postseason Berth

MILWAUKEE, Wisconsin — The St. Louis Cardinals have fallen behind their rivals, the Milwaukee Brewers, who recently clinched a postseason berth. The Brewers took two of three games from the Cardinals over the weekend, highlighting their dominance in the rivalry since 2018.

After reaching the playoffs seven out of the last eight years, Milwaukee is on the brink of claiming its fourth division title in five years. In contrast, the Cardinals risk missing the postseason for the third consecutive year.

Josh Jacobs noted that key trades following the 2017 season may have shifted the balance of power. In a recent article, he wrote that the Cardinals aimed to acquire an outfielder to strengthen their lineup but ultimately settled for Marcell Ozuna from the Miami Marlins.

The Cardinals traded for Ozuna, who was coming off a stellar season with a .924 OPS. However, this decision came at a cost; they gave up both Sandy Alcantara and Zac Gallen in the process. Jacobs pointed out that the Marlins were also willing to trade Christian Yelich at the time, but after the Cardinals pursued Ozuna, the Brewers made their move and secured Yelich, who would later become a National League Most Valuable Player.

While the Cardinals did bolster their lineup with Ozuna, the missed opportunity to acquire Yelich has haunted them as they have struggled to compete with the Brewers. Since the trade, Milwaukee has only missed the postseason once, while St. Louis has faced repeated disappointments.

As the Cardinals look ahead, the upcoming offseason could bring changes. Chaim Bloom is set to take over as president of baseball operations, replacing John Mozeliak. It remains to be seen whether Bloom will make necessary adjustments to steer the team back toward competitive success.