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Five noteworthy comments from John Mozeliak at Cardinals Winter Warm-Up

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ST. LOUIS – John Mozeliak, St. Louis Cardinals President of Baseball Operations, spent nearly half an hour Saturday discussing the team’s offseason and future with media members.

These are among the most notable topics Mozeliak discussed…

1. Offseason strategy

Mozeliak reiterated that adding a catcher was a top priority, but he has fallen short on some other goals as spring training nears. The Cardinals wanted to add a left-handed bat, but the roster competition might have made a fit difficult. He adds St. Louis wasn’t “all that active” in the free agent market for a shortstop or starting pitcher.

“Our hope is that we are right, and it won’t be something we regret. It was a really busy [offseason] in terms of effort, but the return is what it is.”

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2. Holliday’s departure

Matt Holliday stepped down from a bench coach role with the St. Louis Cardinals for the upcoming season, nearly two months after he agreed to take on the position. Mozeliak said Holliday and he first discussed this last Saturday. He

“I’ve known Matt a long time, the utmost respect for him. When you find out someone is stepping down from your coaching staff, candidly it’s not ideal.”

Joe McEwing, a 1990s utility infielder and longtime White Sox coach, will inherit the position. Mozeliak says, “Anyone who knows him or has been around him, he really does exemplify what the Cardinals stand for. I’m thrilled we can end up with Joe given the short notice.”

3. Payroll increase

Throughout the winter months, Mozeliak has reiterated the Cardinals would increase payroll. After seven Cardinals reached deals Friday to avoid arbitration, the Cardinals added around $16 million in salary from last year among those players and stand around $166 million in payroll.

That said, the Cardinals have only made one long-term free agent offseason signing in catcher Willson Contreras. Mozeliak, acknowledging some relatively quiet months, has offered this explanation as to why an increase in payroll doesn’t always mean signing several new players.

“Do we have bandwith to still add to this club throughout the year? Yes, we do. Is the market something that had an adverse effect to us spending? Of course. The way we operate, we’re going to invest in what we think are smart investments. … You’re not going to do something just to just do something. You’re not going to just spend to spend. … If we didn’t like our team, we would be making adjustments. But resources that are available today and resources moving forward are definitely [pricier] than what they were in 2021, 2020 and 2019.”

4. Post-2023 Rotation

Three contract years and an upcoming farewell season for Adam Wainwright loom ahead for the Cardinals rotation. Among the group who could become free agents in 2023 (Jack Flaherty, Miles Mikolas, Jordan Montgomery), the Cardinals have yet to discuss extensions with any of them this offseason.

“You like to have some certainty as you think about that longview. It does create some opportunity for us. We’re not going to rule out any future contract extension talks. … As we approach spring training, we’ll certainly revisit it.”

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5. Mozeliak’s future

After decades of experience in the Cardinals organization, Mozeliak’s contract for his current front office role expires after 2023. He has talked with Cardinals Preisdent Bill Dewitt III about the situation, but he doesn’t want it to be a distraction as the season unfolds.

“We haven’t made any determination. We’re going to continue to talk about that. When I look at 2023, I’m not overly focused on my contract or what 2024 looks like yet. … I understand the importance of the St. Louis Cardinals. In terms of how Mr. Dewitt and I work through things, we have time. … I don’t want to be a distraction, first and foremost, and most importantly, I’m just looking forward to the season.”

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Man attacks Jeff Co. deputy with screwdriver during attempted arrest

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JEFFERSON COUNTY, Mo. – Two people are behind bars after a man reportedly attacked a Jefferson County deputy with a screwdriver during an attempted arrest over the weekend.

Prosecutors have charged Nicholas Davis, 47, and Amanda Davis, 45, of Dittmer, Missouri, with felonies in the investigation.

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The alleged attack followed a traffic stop of a driver in the 9500 block of Jones Creek Road on July 7, though the driver was not Nicholas or Amanda.

According to court documents obtained by FOX 2, Nicholas reportedly came out of his nearby home, yelled at a deputy and started approaching him while holding a screwdriver. The deputy initially ordered Nicholas to back away, then used pepper spray.

Per court documents, the deputy attempted to arrest Nicholas, who then struck him in the chest with the screwdriver. Amanda reportedly approached the deputy and pulled him away from Nicholas before both ran inside their home.

The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office says the situation prompted an hours-long standoff involving negotiators, a SWAT team and a K-9 deputy. The situation led to Nicholas refusing warnings and being bitten by a K-9.

Nicholas and Amanda are both jailed in the Jefferson County Jail without bond. Nicholas is charged with first-degree assault on a special victim and armed criminal action. Amanda is charged with resisting/interfering with arrest.

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St. Louis Public Schools superintendent to be sworn in

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ST. LOUIS — The new St. Louis schools superintendent will be officially sworn into office today. Dr. Keisha Scarlett took over the job in July after the retirement of Dr. Kelvin Adams. She was assistant superintendent in the Seattle Public School District. The installation ceremony is at 6:15 p.m. before the regular school board meeting.

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Gas tanker crashes into St. Louis Metro transit center

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ST. LOUIS — A gasoline tanker truck crashed into a Metro transit center near Riverview and Hall Streets early Tuesday morning and knocked over a power pole. The pole is leaning on other power lines. Police have the area blocked off here because there is a downed power line. Ameren and Metro crews are also on the scene.

The incident happened around 12:30 a.m. It’s still unclear exactly what caused the crash, but we do that there was a second vehicle somehow involved. The airbags on that second vehicle did deploy.

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Police at the scene have not been able to give us a lot of details. Metro officials tell FOX 2 that the transit center here is operating this morning for passengers and buses. Access to certain areas will be limited here as clean up unfolds.

A Metro spokesperson says half of the station isn’t being used right now because of safety issues. It isn’t impacting overall bus operations, everything is just happening on the other side of transit center.

The extent of the damage to the actual transit center is still unclear, but I’m told it does not appear to be extreme. A Metro spokesperson tells me there were no injuries to any metro workers or passengers. The tanker driver also was not injured.

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