Inside The Cardinals

Cardinals Predicted To Finally Cut Ties With All-Star Pitcher

The Cardinals could make some big moves in the offseason...
Sep 20, 2025; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Miles Mikolas (39) salutes the fans after he was removed from the game during the sixth inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images
Sep 20, 2025; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Miles Mikolas (39) salutes the fans after he was removed from the game during the sixth inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

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The St. Louis Cardinals have officially handed over the power of the team to Chaim Bloom. With this decision, the Cardinals have a lot of tough decisions to make in the coming weeks and months.

But there's one or two decisions that the Cardinals don't need to think twice before making.

Redbird Rants' Josh Jacobs recently predicted the Cardinals would cut ties with veteran pitcher Miles Mikolas this offseason as the righty heads to free agency.

Miles Mikolas has likely played his final game with the Cardinals

St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Miles Mikola
Sep 20, 2025; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Miles Mikolas (39) pitches against the Milwaukee Brewers during the first inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

"This won't come as a shocker to anyone, but Miles Mikolas won't be returning to the Cardinals in 2026 under Chaim Bloom's leadership. Now, I do want to walk you down a path I considered recently...the idea that a reunion with Mikolas could actually be in the cards...but then confirm why I believe that will not happen," Jacobs wrote. "For a while now, it's been debatable at best as to whether or not Sonny Gray would want to leave St. Louis. Now that he's made that intention known, the Cardinals' rotation options are getting really thin.

"I won't lie to you, even as I write them, I can see the world where the Cardinals bring back Mikolas on that cheap deal while also targeting a reclamation project arm, because honestly, they likely need multiple veteran arms to get them through next year. But for now, let's say Mikolas is done with the Cardinals."

There might be a world where Mikolas signs a veteran minimum minor league deal with the Cardinals to stay with the organization that he's always been with, but that's not the most likely outcome.

The Cardinals need to cut ties with him. He's been one of the worst pitchers in baseball for a few years and there's been no signs of life since his All-Star campaign in 2022. Mikolas has been making around $20 million a year for the last few seasons, too.

At the end of the day, this is one of the least difficult decisions Bloom will be forced to make. In fact, he's likely known what the verdict was on Mikolas since April.

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Zach Pressnell
ZACH PRESSNELL

Zach Pressnell has experience covering all major US sports at both the professional and collegiate levels. He’s produced content for FanSided, Blog Red Machine, The Game Haus, Bethany College Athletics and the Bethany College online newspaper, He graduated from Bethany College (WV) with a degree in Communications and Media Arts, specializing in Sports Journalism. Pressnell was also a four-year member of the baseball team where he earned himself All-PAC recognition as a pitcher (and a cool Tommy John surgery scar). Now, Pressnell specializes in NFL and MLB coverage for Sports Illustrated’s “On SI” network among others. For all business/marketing inquiries regarding "St. Louis Cardinals On SI," please reach out to Scott Neville: scott@wtfsports.org