The St. Louis Cardinals are in unknown terrain. The franchise was at its lowest point during the DeWitt ownership. As fans lose interest in the current product on the field, ownership is implementing a “reset” to get the franchise back on track to winning. However, with a TV deal in the works that will result in lost guaranteed money, a new streaming package on the horizon that is yet unknown, and declining fan attendance, ownership is bracing for the 2025 season. With the front office going through its own reset, John Mozeliak is buying time before leaving his position as President of Baseball Operations, which he has held since 2007.
Chaim Bloom, the successor to Mozeliak, has many supporters enthusiastic about the future. While the current front office has a long history of failing to develop players, Bloom has had excellent success in his brief tenure as GM. In 2023, the Cardinals accepted defeat in this area and sold numerous key players to rebuild their minor league system. The talent is gradually regaining ground, as are the Cardinals’ prospects. While this is due in part to Bloom’s consulting position, Bloom’s masterpiece has been the Red Sox establishing one of baseball’s best farm systems. Fans throughout the sport recognize this, and believe he can recreate the same magic in St. Louis.
However, the brief stay with the Red Sox began with one of the most contentious decisions made within an organization. His first duty as Red Sox general manager was to trade club icon Mookie Betts. Ownership complained about being cash challenged, the farm system was depleted during Dave Dombrowski’s 2018 title run, and the future looked dismal for future sustainability to win. Bloom finds himself in essentially the same position when he takes over the Cardinals in 2026. The silver side here is that Mozeliak is making the difficult and unpleasant decisions that ownership has imposed on the front office before resigning.
Clean slate
Bloom has a fresh start with control in his hands. The “reset” has helped him to avoid undesired pressures resulting from previous front-office decisions. The projected next core is in place, and Bloom can confidently oversee this franchise based on his competence. With his most prominent move being the trade of the franchise superstar, Betts, he may have the opposite effect in St. Louis by acquiring one. Despite repeatedly failing to trade prospects who flourish with other teams, the Cardinals do not shy away from acquiring MLB superstars to propel them to the next level.
During the DeWitt period, the team demonstrated this by signing players such as Mark McGwire, Jim Edmonds, Scott Rolen, Larry Walker, Matt Holliday, Paul Goldschmidt, and Nolan Arenado. While many clubs wait for free agency to add big-name players to shore up their core rosters, the Cardinals want to capitalize on other teams that are ready to move on from theirs. All of the names listed above are star additions from teams in mid to small markets that do not have long-term success. These teams must go through cycles of winning and rebuilding. When the Cardinals perceive an opening with a team in the process of rebuilding, they act quickly.
Chaim Bloom will have this opportunity from the outset, in 2026. The San Diego Padres are in a transitional stage following the death of their previous owner, Peter Seidler. During the 2021-2023 season, the squad went wild, exchanging much of their farm system for multiple game stars. The Padres also signed their stars to long-term contracts to assure that the team would be able to compete at a high level for a long period. This felt like a wonderful dream come true for Padres fans, and it seemed far too good to be true. After Seidler died, this seemed too wonderful to be true.The Padres are now slowly considering trades for players on their roster and have publicly declared their want to reduce money. The present ownership does not have Seidler’s drive, and they want to return the Padres to their market size in order to avoid long-term revenue losses.
The next star in St. Louis
With the Padres ready to begin their own reset, it appears that they may be willing to let go of one or more of their long-term commitments. Manny Machado, Xander Bogaerts, and Fernando Tatis Jr. are all signed for the next decade, which is one of the reasons the team is experiencing financial difficulties. After many grueling postseason battles over the years, including a showdown with the rival Los Angeles Dodgers, these top players will not be ready to let go of their competitive spirit. If they become dissatisfied with the reset, they may consider trying to win with another group. This scenario has often worked in favor of the Cardinals.
Fernando Tatis Jr. has the highest potential value for trade. He is still extremely young, his long-term contract assures him roster control, and with AAVs rising, his long-term salary will be manageable. What makes this more logical is that the Padres have had off-the-field difficulties with Tatis that have not benefited the team’s public image. In addition to clubhouse culture difficulties, it may be prudent to consider trading Tatis to recoup prospects lost over the last four seasons.
The Cardinals have a long connection with the Tatis name, and they even sought to sign Tatis as an amateur early in his career. This will not be an uncertain move, and fans are aware that the organization prefers to work inside its comfort zone. Having a superstar tied up for nearly a decade, who is still very young, has a history with the organization, and is still really productive, provides the perfect components for a Bloom recipe. Fans may believe this is a stretch given ownership’s contradictory signals, but Mozeliak would not exclude out larger payrolls in the future. This is not to say that the Cardinals will be aggressive in their pursuit of parity with the Los Angeles Dodgers. However, this implies that they will react to the game’s market and capitalize where they see fit. With two organizations attempting to restore themselves for long-term success, Chaim Bloom may repeat Cardinals history to begin his stint as President of Baseball Operations.
