The Cardinals are about to enter a rebuild. We don’t know how extreme it’s going to be or what the roster will look like in the spring of 2025. But we do know that the Cardinals are likely to take a step back from contention.
It should have never come to this, but at this point, it’s necessary. It doesn’t need to be a total teardown, but changes do need to be made for the Cardinals to return to sustained success.
2025 and 2026 look like they’re going to be trying years, but one thing I think people may not realize is that this may not be as painful as we all are expecting. It won’t be pretty by any means, but there are things to look forward to, and even some signs of hope.
In this piece, I’ll list a few things that are giving me a glimmer of hope as we prepare for trying times.
The 2007-08 offseason
The Cardinals have been in a similar spot before. Recall that changes needed to be made after they finished 78-84 in 2007. There were some painful trades that were made that winter, and the core of the mid-2000s Cardinals teams was essentially broken up.
Scott Rolen was traded for Troy Glaus after he and Tony La Russa couldn’t overcome their disagreements. Jim Edmonds was traded, and the Cardinals also lost David Eckstein in free agency.
By all accounts, the Cardinals entered the 2008 season worse on paper than they were in 2007. Glaus was a good get, but Eckstein was replaced by Cesar Izturis, which was quite underwhelming.
But in the Edmonds trade, the Cardinals acquired David Freese, and we all know how that turned out. But they got rid of some aging veterans and got younger, which proved to be a solid move by John Mozeliak.
Though they missed the playoffs again in 2008, they improved to 86-76, went on to win the division again in 2009 and later capture a title in 2011 thanks in large part to Freese. That kicked off a new era of success in St. Louis.
I’m not saying that the Cardinals are going to be a better team next year. The next few years may not be easy, but they’ve been in this position before and have found their way out of this type of mess.
The Padres turnover from last year
The Cardinals can also look at the Padres for some inspiration. I did some digging on this and noticed something very important. Last offseason, the Padres lost Josh Hader, Blake Snell, Seth Lugo, Michael Wacha, and Juan Soto. Those are some big losses.
But they ended up reaping the benefits of the Soto trade right away and even filled some holes thanks to the deal. They added Michael King in the Soto deal, who is now one of their top starters.
They also used some of what they got to swing a deal for Dylan Cease. Now, their rotation is among the best in baseball. Oh, and they’re one win away from the NLCS.
If the Cardinals are losing key pieces, it will likely come via trade. But guys like Ryan Helsley, Sonny Gray, and Willson Contreras could give the Cardinals massive returns of players that are Major League ready or right on the cusp and could help almost immediately.
Maybe then they could use some of what they get to add to the club at some point down the road.
The young core is still in place
The four players most likely to be traded seem to be Gray, Contreras, Helsley, and Nolan Arenado. Trading them all would seemingly signal a total teardown, right?
Not quite. And this is what I think some fans may be forgetting. Again, I’m not saying things are going to be super amazing in 2025, but contrary to my recent attitude about the team, I think the glass is more half full than you may realize.
Still on the roster will be Brendan Donovan, Lars Nootbaar, Masyn Winn, Jordan Walker, Alec Burleson, Nolan Gorman, Ivan Herrera, Pedro Pages, Thomas Saggese, Luken Baker, Andre Pallante, and Michael McGreevy. That’s a young core I’ll take my chances with.
There are going to be growing pains for each and every one of them, and that’s why 2025 figures to be more of a transitional year rather than one where the Cardinals focus on contending. But there’s still a ton of promise there, and I’m excited to see these guys get more chances.
John Mozeliak will be gone soon
Like many, I was frustrated to find out that John Mozeliak would be returning as president of baseball operations for one more year. I think we all know it’s time for someone else to lead the charge.
But for as much as the end of the season press conference left to be desired, there was some good news. Chaim Bloom will be taking Mo’s role at the end of the 2025 season.
Nobody wants to deal with another year of Mo, and I get that. I don’t want to deal with it either. But at the very least, someone else will be calling the shots soon. It’ll be a fresh voice and somebody who can revitalize the Cardinals player development system, which has rotted after being a strength for so many years.
Before the Cardinals waste money on free agents, they have to get smart, as Bernie Miklasz has been saying. This is their chance to do that.
We only have to deal with one more year of Mo, and there’s finally a light at the end of the tunnel.