While there has been little for St. Louis Cardinals fans to smile about during the 2023 MLB season, they will accept a rare non-competitive campaign. Just as long as the organization moves in an upward trajectory going forward.

Recovery does not happen until St. Louis is honest with itself. There are plenty of holes and questions on this roster that could indicate a tough road ahead for the first time in decades. John Mozeliak, the Cards' president of baseball operations, must do everything in his power to ensure that brighter days are ahead.

He and the front office must focus on developing the franchise's young talent and preparing them for the 2024 season and beyond. A last-place standing gives St. Louis a golden opportunity to give some of these guys much-needed playing time earlier than would be normally expected.

Wins and losses no longer matter in 2023. But in order toe ensure that type of dismal outlook does not reoccur, these are the two roster moves the Cardinals must make following their busy trade deadline.

Call up Masyn Winn before season's end

A top priority for every team needs to be finding a long-term big league shortstop. The position feels more important than ever, with stars like Trea Turner and Xander Bogaerts signing monster contracts in the offseason. Masyn Winn has the potential to be a franchise pillar for St. Louis.

The 21-year-old has done more than enough in Triple-A Memphis to earn his first MLB at-bat. He is hitting .284 with 17 home runs in 102 games this season. The only reason he has not been called up yet is because the Cardinals will gain a 2025 compensatory draft pick if Winn maintains his rookie status beyond this season. If the Texas native tallies more than 130 plate appearances, then that possibility is no longer on the table.

Wynn still must see minimal action at the pro-level. He can make his debut in late-August and get an important head start on next year. Any experience can help, so Mozeliak would be wise to throw this top prospect right into the fire. He can handle it.

Masyn Winn has a superb arm and has thrown the ball at over 100 MPH in the infield. His solid bat can make him a valuable lead-off man if everything breaks right in his career. He is ready to start building towards that ceiling. A new and exciting challenge awaits Winn in St. Louis. Hopefully, neither he nor the fans have to wait longer than a couple more weeks before it officially begins.

Cardinals must play Luken Baker everyday, or call up Ivan Herrera

There are multiple young players in the organization who are ready to take the next step of their baseball journey, but unfortunately some might be in competition with each other. Luken Baker was called up Monday and is going to start at designated hitter, per Bally Sports. That should be a recurring trend for the remainder of the year.

Mozeliak had no choice but to make this move, as Baker was completely dominating opposing pitchers in Triple-A this season. He has blasted 33 homers and driven in 98 runs in just 84 games and has a staggering 1.159 OPS. He cannot be confined to Memphis for another day. He must be allowed to weather any potential growing pains and remain a fixture of manager Oliver Marmol's lineup for the next month-and-a-half.

The 26-year-old ranks just 19th in the Redbirds' farm system, but the moment of truth has arrived for him. If Baker looks completely out of place on the MLB squad, then there is a useful alternative the Cardinals can employ. Recall catcher Ivan Herrera and move Willson Contreras to DH.

Management made a hefty, five-year, $87.5 million investment last offseason with the belief that Contreras would be their regular catcher. He lost that job after just over a month of the season, before quickly finding his way back. The three-time All-Star has struggled at the plate and behind it, so some tweaks might need to be made in order to salvage this deal. Allowing Contreras to focus solely on hitting, which was the main reason the Cardinals scooped him up in the first place, could be the best course of action to take.

Herrera is the other part of this equation. Like Baker, he appears to be outgrowing the minor leagues, as evidenced by his .305/.438/.531/.969 slash line. Herrera has also performed well in a small sample size with St. Louis, going 8-for-23 with two RBIs (.348 batting average). There has been little opportunity to go around, but it's time for the 23-year-old native of Panama to get another, more extensive crack at catching duties.

The objective is clear. Get the boys ready for the future. There will surely be struggles and hardship ahead, but the end result could be a Cardinals team built for the long haul. They need to finish what they started at the trade deadline.