Interesting story from STLToday.com about Cards GM John Mozeliak and Tony LaRussa.

The Cards were 61-49 and tied for the wildcard the day the trade deadline passed. But GM John Mozeliak did not acquire any players to make a push for the division, and Tony was not happy about that.

La Russa recently said, “I think the issues are out there and it’s up to the organization to prove if they want to have a fighting chance to finish first. The only way you do that is by your actions, not by the benefit of what you’ve done.

“It’s always what you do next. If you lose sight of that you’re making a big mistake.”

I was critical of the non-moves because you don’t always have to acquire a rent-a-player. The Cubs got Rich Harden, didn’t mortgage the farm to get him and he will be here next year. Maybe the Cards are feeling a little snake-bit. The reader comments at the end of the column are an interesting insight into how some Cards fans feel.

But the good news for those fans is that over $40 million comes off the books for the Cards at the end of the year.

“This year is different. I think we will identify holes and aggressively pursue closing them in a number of ways. We’re younger. There are still some things we need to do. This isn’t a team that was able to sustain its early success for a variety of reasons. Without going into specifics, I expect those needs will be addressed.”

It’s also a much better free agent class than last year. Hitters that will be available include Rafael Furcal, Joe Crede, Milton Bradley, Pat Burrell and Adam Dunn. Pitchers available could include A.J. Burnett, who can opt out of his deal, Jon Garland, Ryan Dempster, Derek Lowe, Ben Sheets and C.C. Sabathia.