For so long the St Louis Cardinals have been the gold standard, certainly for the National League. Their eleven world series championships is topped overall only by the Yankees. Since 2000 they have been a playoff team sixteen times.
In that time they have played in eight league championship series and won it all in 2006 and 2011. They are constantly given a solid financial mandate from their fans. Only once since 2003 have they drawn fewer than three million fans and that was post pandemic 2021.
Times have changed in the ‘Gateway to the west’. First, the last place 71-91 season of 2023 then 83-79 this year that left them ten back of Milwaukee in the NL Central. They were also six back of the wild card.
Cardinals cutting payroll
The hard times includes less income with the change of how baseball is consumed on television, That loss in revenue in turn will force a cut in payroll according to Cardinals president Bill DeWitt III:
“We have two giant revenue streams that are going the wrong way, and we’re also committed to investing more in player development and frankly other areas of player improvement.”
Fifty million has already come off the payroll. They declined 2025 options on pitchers Kyle Gibson and Lance Lynn while also letting first baseman Paul Goldschmidt, pitcher Andrew Kittredge and infielder/DH Matt Carpenter to become free agents.
There will also be a new sherriff in town. John Mozeliak has handled the roster since 2007 as either the President of Baseball Operations or as Senior Vice President and General Manager. Next season will be his last.
Chaim Bloom taking over
Chaim Bloom will take over after cutting his teeth in Tampa Bay followed by three seasons as Chief Baseball Officer for the Boston Red Sox (2023-2025). Mozeliak admits a change is coming:
“‘Yes, this is a reset, this is going to be where we’re not focusing on necessarily building the best possible roster we can. We’re also excited about the roster. We do have a bunch of young players. How we could augment that over the next few months, time will tell.’”
MLB Trade Rumors list of eligible players for trade in this off season is chock full of Cardinals. Two of the top three on the list (Pitchers Ryan Helsley and Eric Fedde) and four of the top eleven (3B Nolan Arenado and pitcher Sonny Gray) are Cardinals.
Willson Contreras not going anywhere
Catcher Willson Contreras sat at number twelve but since he has a no trade clause and wants to stay, he will. The Cards have already decided he will move from behind the plate to replace Goldschmidt at first.
There’s infielder/outfielder and former gold glove winner Brendan Donovan at number twenty. Second baseman Nolan Gorman next at number twenty one.
While Gorman has significant power with sixty homers the last three seasons, his on base percentage cratered to .271 (career .302) and he strikes out a ton, 402 times in 1054 career at bats.
So, you need a player or six? Calling Mozeliak or Bloom and the Cardinals could be your one stop shop. As for what the 2025 Cardinals will look like? Not like anything in recent memory for sure.
