In spite of everything, the St. Louis Cardinals are finally putting things together, even if they weren’t intended to.
This Cardinals team’s offseason storyline focused on impending transformation. Chaim Bloom will take over as president of baseball operations in 2026, and this is John Mozeliak’s last season in that role. Bloom has a reputation for retooling and rebuilding a farm system, which has long been a weak point in St. Louis.
It was anticipated that the Cardinals would at last begin a serious rebuild, or at the very least, shift to a younger group with an eye toward the future. However, Mozeliak clung to his seasoned players on the trade front and didn’t really bring forth any change. Because of this, the Cards roster still looks a lot like it did a year ago. St. Louis is only lately winning games.
The Cardinals are two games behind Chicago, who are in first place in the NL Central, with a 29-23 record. Fans want to see winning baseball, so that’s a good thing, but it puts Mozeliak, Bloom, and the Cardinals front office in a weird position.
Cardinals’ unexpected success could make rebuilding even harder next offseason
Here, St. Louis has put itself in a difficult situation. Miles Mikolas and Erick Fedde, two veterans on short-term contracts, will likely remain with the Cardinals because they may be too excellent to move before the trade deadline. In the offseason, Ryan Helsley would have been a valuable trade asset. The St. Louis closer is likely staying put now that he has lost some of his shine.
After that, we can focus on the future, since stars like Brendan Donovan and Lars Nootbaar are expected to have contract negotiations soon. The Cards had the opportunity to lock up both last winter for fair prices, maybe even less than market value. Both Nootbaar, 27, and Donovan, 28, are now having career-best seasons with.761 OPS and seven home runs, respectively, and.837 OPS and three home runs, respectively.
Locking them up early for a low price is out of the question, but neither will be available for free agency until 2027. They both now have momentum to build on and good cause to think they will sign a big new deal in the coming years. The Cardinals will be sorry they didn’t pursue contract negotiations earlier.
Don’t take this as a “St. Louis is too good” critique. Once again, the Cards’ payroll has long suggested that they are a team built to win games and contend for a playoff berth, and this is a fan base accustomed to winning. Last year, this is what was meant to occur. But it’s a little odd to start playing like a contender now that Mozeliak is prepared to retire and St. Louis has made it clear that it wants to turn its attention to the future.
This season, Nolan Arenado hasn’t made it any simpler to trade. The greatest names in St. Louis, like Arenado, Sonny Gray, or the previously mentioned Helsley, are all having some difficulties. However, the club is winning, their farm system is still mediocre compared to other MLB teams, and their little young talent is getting more costly every week.
When Bloom takes over the front office next winter, the Cardinals will have to face a difficult reckoning if they are unable to live up to the potential of this season and make an impact in the playoffs. Right now, it’s unclear exactly how he can make a difference.
