The St. Louis Cardinals continue to hover around the .500 mark, clinging to the fringes of the wild card race. While a postseason berth remains unlikely, they’re still mathematically in contention as they wrap up their series against the Seattle Mariners and head into a road trip finale with the Milwaukee Brewers.

There’s a flicker of optimism surrounding the team, thanks to a wave of returning offensive reinforcements. Alec Burleson is back from a brief IL stint, and both Brendan Donovan and Nolan Arenado are expected to rejoin the lineup soon. With 17 games left, the season may still offer intrigue—though it’s doubtful we’ll see a resurgence of devil magic or a surprise wild card berth.

As the playoff picture dims, attention naturally shifts to the offseason. New head of baseball opera

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