"The public dialogue, it seems to me, in recent months has been somewhat negative," DeWitt said to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. "We did some important moves early, and here it is January, almost February, so there's this gap. It's the timing of the things we've done. It lends itself to the question, 'What's next?'

"There are perceptions that we cannot ignore because we are in the position we are because of a variety of reasons, and fan support is a big part of that."

The Cardinals have drawn 3 million or more in 10 of the past 11 seasons, but they are budgeting for anything between 2.7 million and 3.4 million this year, with the expected target 3.2 million.

"Fan support is a huge part of it," DeWitt said. "And I think it is even more important when you're a small-market team. It allows you to act bigger than you are because of how much support you have.

"We have a historically strong and devoted fan base. And we know we cannot take it for granted. They want a competitive team, and if there is a suspicion that we are squandering it or putting it all in our pocket, then you've broken that trust. This is a public trust."