The St. Louis Cardinals could — and should — be better this season. But the preseason NL Central favorites haven't lived up to the hype. So, what's next per the latest MLB Rumors?

Often, when an aging core fails to reach expectations, the front office will answer by selling off some of its spare parts. Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado aren't getting any younger, and the former enters the final season of his contract in 2024.

Yet, the Cards problems lie within. St. Louis is not going to trade Goldschmidt, nor Arenado. Jordan Montgomery, Jack Flaherty, Tyler O'Neill and others are certainly available for trade, but they will only bring in minor upgrades, if any at all.

As Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic writes in his analysis of the Cards dilemma, the front office is unlikely to put their best foot forward:

"Splurge in free agency. Or tear it down. Those are extreme courses. I don't expect the Cardinals to pursue either one. But barring a massive turnaround, the best path moving forward probably is one or the other," Rosenthal writes.

MLB Rumors: St. Louis Cardinals make all the wrong choices

John Mozeliak has insisted a rebuild isn't coming. He did so prior to the London Series, and did so again during it.

"I would hope the Cardinals are not allowed to rebuild," Mozeliak told reporters in reference to the "pressure" St. Louis fans put on the team to remain perpetual contenders. This is the only scenario that Mozeliak seems to have ruled out in regards to the trade deadline, since "as we sit here on the 23rd of June, we still don't know exactly which path we'll walk. From a front office standpoint, we have to start preparing."

Okay, so that option is off the table. Why not fix the club's clear pitching woes in the offseason, via free agency or trade?

Free agency is unlikely, as the largest contract the Cards have ever given out to a player not on their roster, up until last year, was Matt Holliday. Willson Contreras received a five-year, $87.5 million investment last offseason.

As ideal as a trade might be, St. Louis passed on that option in 2022-23 as well. They could have acquired the likes of Pablo Lopez and Sean Murphy, as Rosenthal points out, only to hoard the prospects in their ninth-ranked farm system. Why should we assume this winter will be any different?

Cardinals fans should be concerned. The conservative nature of this organization is finally catching up with them.