Cardinals Writer Lists Major Decision For Chaim Bloom After 2025

Chaim Bloom will have his work cut out for him.

Aug 18, 2022; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Boston Red Sox chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom (left) and Pittsburgh Pirates general manager Ben Cherington (right) talk before the Pirates host the Red Sox at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

The St. Louis Cardinals have not only been eliminated from postseason contention, but have also secured their second losing season in three years. Prior to 2023, they had not had a losing season since 2007. In addition, president of baseball operations John Mozeliak will step down after Sunday's season finale against the Chicago Cubs and give way to Chaim Bloom, who will head up a multi-year rebuild project in hopes of restoring the Cardinals to their former glory.

Bloom will have some difficult decisions to make this winter. The Cardinals will likely look quite a bit different entering the 2026 season than they did in 2025.

Thomas Gauvain of Redbird Rants listed five major decisions Bloom will have to make, with the biggest one being who stays and who goes.

Chaim Bloom Must Decide Who To Keep And Trade For 2026

May 27, 2022; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Red Sox president Sam Kennedy and chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom honor former player David Ortiz into the Red Sox Hall of Fame prior to a game against the Baltimore Orioles at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images | Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images

"There are several logjams on the roster right now (first base, corner outfield, catcher) that will have to be solved this winter. The fact that the Cardinals used the 2025 season to evaluate which players would be a part of their long-term plans also contributes to the need for trades this winter. If the organization, specifically Chaim Bloom, didn't get answers from this runway season, it was for nothing. Hopefully, Bloom has an idea of whom he wants to keep for the near future and whom he wants to trade," Gauvain wrote.

Of the players that may be traded, Sonny Gray, Nolan Arenado and Brendan Donovan seem to be the most likely. They could also look to trade Lars Nootbaar and potentially even Willson Contreras.

Contreras, Gray and Arenado all have no-trade clauses, but Gray and Arenado have already made clear that they are more than willing to waive theirs in order to go and play for a contender.

It's very possible that the Cardinals will be almost unrecognizable in 2026. Of course, it all depends on how Bloom constructs the roster, and which players decide they want to stay or leave.

It is likely going to be a very busy offseason for the Cardinals, but in a way that fans aren't exactly used to. It will be interesting to see how Bloom goes about constructing next year's roster and what it will look like at the start of spring training. They likely won't be contenders in 2026.

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