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JUPITER, Fla. — There’s a laundry list of things we might say about Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak when he strolls off into the sunset at the end of this season, but we probably won’t give him much credit for a sense of humor. The blame will likely drown that out even if we did.

However, a slight tip of the cap to Mo for the way he greeted a group of reporters who gathered outside the Cardinals’ spring training facility to probe into the signing of free-agent right-handed relief pitcher Phil Maton to a one-year contract on Thursday morning.

“Kind of funny, right? We finally signed someone,� Mozeliak said. “Even I thought that was funny.�

Mozeliak’s quip acknowledged the collective groan that has come from of a fan base for months as it waited and watched the club not sign a single major league free agent this winter.

Let’s be clear: This signing wasn’t a move aimed at pushing the club over the hump for a National League Central Division title. It wasn’t the final piece that ensures a deep playoff run.

Even the one free-agent signing the club made reflected a focus on the development of its young players. In this case, the Cardinals viewed Maton’s fit in terms of his impact on the roster and the trickle down to the rosters of their minor league affiliates. It wasn’t about chasing the Milwaukee Brewers or the Chicago Cubs.

The Cardinals will task Maton, 31, with providing an example and a mentor as well as a reliable relief option out of the bullpen. His acquisition was as much about his “leadership skill� as pitching ability.

Maton, who is going into his ninth season in the majors, has more appearances in the big leagues (415) than JoJo Romero, Matthew Libertore, Ryan Fernandez, Kyle Leahy, Chris Roycroft, Riley O’Brien and Ryan Loutos combined.

“I think he’ll be an ideal addition for us, just adding some veteran presence in our bullpen because it is a younger bullpen,� Mozeliak said. “Obviously, (Ryan) Helsley has a lot of experience, but you hate to put that kind of role on the closer. Finding someone that could fit that — I think Phil is ideal for that.�

Translation: We don’t want our All-Star closer (and maybe our best trade chip this summer) to have to worry about teaching young guys how to be big league relievers while also trying to be one of the best high-leverage pitchers in the game.

So they outsourced that duty to another veteran. If that meant potentially taking a roster spot from young reliever, so be it.

“I think the tradeoff is having someone that can help the younger guys grow,� Mozeliak said. “I think sometimes in the bullpen if you don’t have that presence, it can feel a bit rudderless.

“So historically, going back to even the (Russ) Springer years, we’re always trying to find someone that understands what it’s like to have to do it every day. Then having that person explain it to the younger guys is very helpful.�

Maton, 31, took a pragmatic stance when asked about choosing the opportunity offered by the Cardinals. He admitted that he didn’t have a whole lot of offers, and the Cardinals presented the best situation.

Maton has appeared in 65 games or more each of the past four seasons. He set a career high with 71 appearances in 2024. He posted a 3.66 ERA with 8.44 strikeouts per nine innings last season between stints with the Tampa Bay Rays and New York Mets.

“I just hope to bring stability, durability to the bullpen,� Maton said. “Once you get to free agency, it’s whatever role they need (use) me, any innings to fill, I’m going to do it. I don’t really have a ton of ego with that. I’m just here to really do whatever is needed to help this team win, keep guys fresh and give us a chance to play competitive baseball at the end of the year.�

Cardinals manager Oli Marmol has more reason than anyone else in the organization to appreciate a veteran relief pitcher with a proven track record of reliability and durability.

After all, Marmol will be the one who has to manage that bullpen. Maton gives him a known quantity.

Yet Marmol focused more on what Maton meant for the Cardinals’ ability to keep their long-term plans intact.

“Yes, you want to give opportunity to young guys,� Marmol said. “That’s a big part of what we’re doing. What you also don’t want to do is have someone at the big league level that’s not ready for it. Because that could actually hinder their development.

“You want to be smart about having enough depth that you’re developing guys at the levels they need to develop prior to calling upon them at the highest level.�

A parallel from last season would be how veteran right-hander Andrew Kittredge’s presence allowed Fernandez to progressively build into high-leverage situations during Fernandez’s rookie season.

This season, that might mean allowing Gordon Graceffo to remain a starter a while longer (the Cardinals optioned him to Triple-A prior to Thursday’s spring training game). It might allow them to be purposefully deliberate with minor league reliever Andre Granillo. It could mean providing a buffer for Roycroft and O’Brien before they’re regularly called upon in pressure situations with the game on the line.

Even when the Cardinals finally signed a free agent to a one-year deal, they found a way to make that about their young players and the future.