Chaim Bloom Has Done Wonders With Bolstering Cardinals' Farm System

In his first season as the St. Louis Cardinals' president of baseball operations, Chaim Bloom has done well with acquiring young talent.

Aug 28, 2022; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Chaim Bloom, Chief Baseball Officer of the Boston Red Sox on the field before the game between the Boston Red Sox and the Tampa Bay Rays at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports | USA TODAY Sports

The St. Louis Cardinals have completely defied expectations this season, despite fielding an entirely different-looking team than last season.

The Cardinals began leaning into a full-scale rebuild last season before the trade deadline, dealing Ryan Helsley, Phil Maton and Steven Matz. After hiring former Boston Red Sox chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom to be St. Louis' president of baseball operations, the team continued to trade away star players and focus on player development.

The Cardinals' rebuild seems to be ahead of schedule

Sep 5, 2023; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; A detailed view of the hat and glove of St. Louis Cardinals second baseman Nolan Gorman (not pictured) before a game against the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

St. Louis has already acquired plenty of quality prospects under Bloom, both in trades and through the draft, and with the Cardinals prioritizing player development, young players like Jordan Walker and JJ Wetherholt have been able to step up and become key pieces to the team's future. St. Louis has surprisingly been in the playoff race for most of the season, and though the team has defied expectations, Bloom made the smart choice to continue rebuilding at the trade deadline.

"And now, after president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom’s first offseason -- during which he acquired four prospects who now sit in the Cardinals’ Top 20 -- he swung for the fences once again at this Deadline, turning Dustin May, JoJo Romero and Lars Nootbaar into four more prospects inside of their Top 30," MLB.com's Josh Jacobs wrote on Friday. "Outfielders Alexander Frias (No. 4) and Josiah Ragsdale (No. 10), who came over in the deal that sent May and Romero to the Brewers, are two very high-upside prospects who have an OPS near or above 1.000 on the season.

"There is no way to guarantee that any of these prospects will pan out, but the immediate pain they have been taking to acquire them is setting the organization up for potentially major rewards in the future. It’s been a long time since we’ve seen this much talent in the St. Louis system, and the organization is led by people who have a clear vision for how they get the most out of their talented group of ballplayers."

Bloom and the Cardinals organization clearly have a vision to pump out young talent for the future. St. Louis had one of the most successful drafts in the league, and with all of the prospects Bloom acquired at the trade deadline, the team's farm system looks stronger than ever. With how well the Cardinals have performed this season, it seems like they are ahead of schedule in their rebuild.