Billionaire Wants to Buy Cardinals, But There's a Caveat

The St. Louis Cardinals have struggled a bit over the past three seasons, finishing under .500 twice and missing the playoffs in each year. The front office changes should help some. Chaim Bloom is now in charge instead of John Mozeliak, and the team has committed to rebuilding as opposed to contending in 2026.

A lot of fan frustration has been directed at the team's ownership group. Bill DeWitt Jr. is currently the owner of the club, with Bill DeWitt III serving as the club president. Recently, Missouri-native and billionaire David Hoffman bought an ownership stake in the NHL's Pittsburgh Penguins and has said he wants to buy the Cardinals next.

However, fans hoping for the DeWitt's to sell should be aware of one thing.

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The potential caveat

Sep 30, 2022; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; (L-R) St. Louis Cardinals chairman Bill DeWitt Sr president Bill DeWitt III designated hitter Albert Pujols (5) president of baseball operations John Mozeliak and manager Oliver Marmol (37) pose for photo during a ceremony to celebrate Albert Pujols 700th career home run before a game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

Even if fans are frustrated with the DeWitt's, it's important to remember that they have a track record of putting together some very good ballclubs dating all the way back to 1996. The Cardinals have won 12 National League Central titles, four NL Pennants and two World Series titles under their leadership.

While the recent past hasn't been great, it's important to keep in mind what the DeWitt's have been able to accomplish. It's fair for fans to be frustrated, but before calling for a sale of the franchise, they must consider that over the course of their time leading the Cardinals, the positives outweigh the negatives.

The previous ownership group wasn't putting a lot of effort into making the team better, and the DeWitt's helped revive the franchise after missing the postseason in eight straight seasons. In addition, there's no way of knowing how Hoffmann would operate as an owner and whether or not he would put in the necessary work to make the Cardinals the best team possible.

It would be unwise to automatically assume that the DeWitt's would be selling to somebody who wants to win. Several owners throughout Major League Baseball have outright refused to spend any money to make their team better, and the DeWitt's at least have a strong track record that precedes them.

They may not own the Cardinals forever, but fans should temper their expectations about them selling the team. Frustration is fair, but the best path forward may be for the DeWitt's to stay in control, as they have for so many years.

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