ST. LOUIS — Picture this come the middle of February: Oscar Taveras walks into the clubhouse at Roger Dean Stadium in Jupiter, Fla., and there are double takes all around.

The Cardinals have to look twice to make sure the guy putting on the No. 18 jersey really is their young teammate. Indeed, Taveras is lighter, leaner and just looks different. More grown up, more prepared for the big leagues.

Hey, don’t be shocked if there is such a scene. The Cardinals, in fact, are expecting it more than hoping for it. At their season-wrap-up press conference Monday, general manager John Mozeliak and manager Mike Matheny did not disclose everything they told Taveras before he headed into the offseason, but "improved conditioning" and "losing weight" likely were part of the conversation.

Asked how Taveras responded to the suggestions, Mozeliak said pointedly: "I don’t think we suggested. I think we gave him good advice."

He then turned to his manager, "Would you agree?"

"I agree," Matheny replied.

OK, then. Sounds like Taveras has his marching orders for the next four months. If he intends to do more than pinch-hitting and spot starting in 2015, reporting to spring training in better shape would be just about mandatory.

Taveras was discussed as much as any player during the 50-minute-plus Q&A with the Cardinals’ leaders, and these three points were made clear.

TAVERAS DID NOT MEET EXPECTATIONS IN 2014

Factor in this was his first time up and his playing time became erratic and the numbers still were disappointing: .239/.278/.312 in 248 plate appearances, with three homers and eight doubles.

And hitting was his strong suit. His defense, baserunning and work habits all were suspect enough for his bosses to publicly criticize him during the season and again Monday. (While this could be their way of sending him a message, disparaging their own in the media is not their standard operating procedure.)

Said Mozeliak: "He got multiple opportunities, struggled offensively and from a defensive standpoint, didn’t play up to what we hoped. You can point to a variety of issues. One was his physical conditioning. Two was maybe his passion for defense. Both need to be addressed."

Added Matheny: "Part of that process is he’s never been pushed, never naturally had that passion for the defensive side, never had that passion for baserunning. Those are things he’s seen guys in that clubhouse (do) who have been around a long time. That’s part of his maturing."

DISAGREEMENT OVER TAVERAS’ PLAYING TIME WAS A NON-ISSUE

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Yes, Mozeliak admitted that he is an "advocate" for the team’s young players. Yes, he should be because it’s part of his job.

"So is Mike, but Mike also has to be much more performance driven at that moment," Mozeliak added. "Oscar came up and got every opportunity to play. Guess what? He didn’t perform (7 for 37 with two walks in 11 games in his first call-up)."

Scoff at the notion that the two stayed on the same page if you want. But Mozeliak said that he talks with his manager virtually every day and they know what each other is thinking. It’s been this way since Matheny was hired three years ago.

"There wasn’t tension," Matheny said. "The Oscar thing seemed to be one of the hottest topics where it was almost like the organization was trying to push him to play more. We stay in conversation. (When) we’re not seeing what we need to and have the urgency to get through the stretch and into the postseason, we’ve got to jump on what’s going to help us right now."

Matheny admitted that Taveras "was called to the carpet" by the veterans but added that the rookie wasn’t the only one. Matheny talked about how players gather with him beyond second base regularly during batting practice for an "open forum."

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"Gives guys opportunity, especially the veterans, to speak up," Matheny said. "Nobody is immune to being hit. To be honest, when they stay away from a guy, you have more concern than if they actually confront. Every one of our young players (was called out). At times even the veterans call out each other. That’s a very unique atmosphere."

THE CLUB STILL BELIEVES

"He can be a star," Matheny said. "He showed some things all season that proved that. Stepping into some big situations in a different role, right to the end, he was very much into the competition."

Matheny said he became impressed with the way Taveras handled his lack of playing time and the failures he endured on the field.

"The more time we got to watch him go through some of the struggles and then have some success, we saw the kind of person that he is," Matheny said. "A good addition to our club. He came in and he worked. This year was a great learning opportunity for him. As far as the talent goes, there’s no question. This kid can hit."

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Mozeliak also saw Taveras, who went 3 for 7 with a homer in the playoffs, progress in the second half.

"The last two months for Oscar were probably his best two months," Mozeliak said. "He didn’t play a lot, but he learned a lot. He now understands the ownership he needs to take moving forward."

Near the end of the regular season, Mozeliak said he hoped Taveras would forgo winter ball and use that time for conditioning. But the GM said Monday that Taveras will head home to the Dominican Republic in December for a month of winter ball, sandwiched between time at Roger Dean Stadium for conditioning in November and January.

The goal is for Taveras to show up in February in prime condition to battle Randal Grichuk for the right-field job.

"If we see a healthy competition, it means both guys prepared properly," Mozeliak said.

The message has been delivered. The double takes remain to be seen.

You can follow Stan McNeal on Twitter at @StanMcNeal or email him at stanmcneal@gmail.com.