Cardinals' Chaim Bloom Says Quiet Part Out Loud After Trade-Filled Offseason

If you're a St. Louis Cardinals fan, it's likely been a tough offseason.

There have been a lot of moving parts. First and foremost, John Mozeliak exited the organization after 30 years with the team in different capacities. He joined the organization in 1995 and passed the baton to Chaim Bloom as the team's president of baseball operations after the 2025 season wrapped up.

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Bloom made it clear right away that changes were needed to improve the long-term vision for the franchise. St. Louis has had three straight difficult seasons and while the farm system has been trending up, the Cardinals had roster logjams, expensive veterans and unclear pathways for the young guys the club did have. St. Louis got to work and has since traded Brendan Donovan, Nolan Arenado, Willson Contreras and Sonny Gray. That's a lot of talent out the door. It's a bit of a system shock. Bloom opened up about the vision for the club in the aftermath, as transcribed by Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat.

The Cardinals have had a long, but good offseason

Sep 23, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; St. Louis Cardinals second baseman Brendan Donovan (33) runs to third base against the San Francisco Giants during the first inning at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: Eakin Howard-Imagn Images | Eakin Howard-Imagn Images

"In trying to build for the long haul, we’ve gone a lot younger,” Bloom said. “We have a lot of players who we’re hoping that they will accomplish a lot more than they have accomplished, and that there’s very good reason to think that they’ll do so. ... We really believe in the combined talent of the group to be able to give us a head start on doing that, and it’ll be on us then to supplement over time.”

Right now, it's tough. Contreras, Donovan, Arenado and Gray weren't just talented, but were good overall members of the franchise. They were leaders in the clubhouse and gave fans a lot to be excited about each night.

You shouldn't give up hope for the organization, though. It may take some time, but this club has a bright future with Bloom steering the ship. First off, the 2026 season will be a great opportunity for young guys to step into larger roles and contribute. Alec Burleson looks like the team's first baseman with Contreras out the door.

No. 1 prospect JJ Wetherholt has a good shot at making the jump to the big leagues, which is exciting in itself. Nolan Gorman and Thomas Saggese have pathways to more playing time and could be everyday contributors. Masyn Winn and Iván Herrera already look like long-term options. The 2026 season will be Jordan Walker's best opportunity so far in his young career. Plus, Victor Scott II flashed some serious talent in 2025.

With all of the trades, the Cardinals added Hunter Dobbins and Richard Fitts, who could help in the rotation in 2026 and beyond. Also, if you look at the Cardinals' top prospects now, the No. 4 (Jurrangelo Cijntje), No. 8 (Brandon Clarke), No. 10 (Yhoiker Fajardo) and No. 15 (Tai Peete) are all guys who came over in the trades of the offseason.

It's a tough offseason, but one that is going to pay off.

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