Cardinals Begin Rebuild Under Chaim Bloom Amid Veteran Changes

The St. Louis Cardinals are entering the 2025-26 offseason under new President of Baseball Operations Chaim Bloom, signaling a shift toward rebuilding with a focus on young talent and pitching depth. Despite calls to re-sign veteran pitcher Miles Mikolas, the Cardinals appear poised to move on from him due to recent inconsistent performance and a desire to prioritize younger, more dynamic pitching options. The team's offseason strategy involves moderate spending, with financial resources expected to be allocated toward improving the roster without pursuing top-tier free agents, partly constrained by multiple arbitration-eligible players. Bloom faces challenges in avoiding past mistakes from his tenure with the Boston Red Sox, such as trading key players without adequate returns and failing to extend homegrown stars, which Cardinals fans hope he will not repeat. The team is also managing the futures of veterans Nolan Arenado, Sonny Gray, and Willson Contreras, all of whom have no-trade clauses, complicating potential trades as Bloom aims to reshape the roster. Overall, the Cardinals are focused on making careful, impactful moves to return to contention after several disappointing seasons.