Cardinals Can Return To Contention By Copying Mariners' Blueprint

The St. Louis Cardinals really are at a crossroads right now.

This is a team that has been one of the most consistent winners not only in the National League, but in baseball in general in recent memory. The Cardinals are one of baseball's historic organizations. The New York Yankees have the most World Series titles in baseball history and the Cardinals are No. 2 with 11. But, the Cardinals have missed the playoffs in each of the last three seasons and interest in the organization is waning, as shown by the historically low attendance numbers in 2025. St. Louis' attendance dropped by over 600,000 people from 2024 to 2025 at home.

Clearly, a lot needs to be done and Chaim Bloom is the man tasked with taking this organization back to the top. The Cardinals are never going to spend at the level of some of the other top contenders, like the Los Angeles Dodgers. But, that is okay if you have a farm system that consistently brings cheap, homegrown talent to the big leagues ready to contribute. Bloom had success in a somewhat similar situation with the Tampa Bay Rays. Another team without endless financial resources that he helped turn into a contender in the American League.

This is his first offseason fully leading the Cardinals and one team that he should be looking at as a blueprint is the Seattle Mariners.

The Cardinals need to follow the Mariners' lead

Seattle Mariners hat — May 12, 2018; Detroit, MI, USA; Hat and glove of Seattle Mariners center fielder Dee Gordon (9) sits in dugout during the third inning against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images | Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

Seattle was one win away from making it to the World Series before it lost Game 7 in the American League Championship Series on Monday night. The Mariners had 90 wins in the regular season and advanced through the playoffs with a 15th-ranked payroll of just over $164 million, per Spotrac. The Cardinals came in at No. 20 at just over $131 million.

So, how do the Mariners find their success? Pitching, pitching, pitching. The Mariners have invested in their farm system and have been rewarded with Logan Gilbert, George Kirby, Bryce Miller, and Bryan Woo, who all made under $8 million in 2025. Luis Castillo is also in the Mariners' rotation and made much more at just over $24 million. The first step for the Cardinals is investing in the pitching apparatus in the minors and developing from there.

There are some signs of life. Michael McGreevy and Matthew Liberatore are young, inexpensive, and have found success in the majors. The Cardinals also have Quinn Matthews on the doorstep to the majors and just drafted Liam Doyle in the first round. There are pieces here, but the Cardinals need to keep adding inexpensive, young pitchers into the mix. Especially with the price of starting pitching on the rise and injuries always popping up.

The Mariners have also invested in their young guys early, like Julio Rodriguez. It leads to a higher upfront cost, but lower cost in the long-term if the player pans out. Someone like Masyn Winn and maybe even JJ Wetherholt come to mind as guys for the front office to potentially pay early.

Investing in the bullpen also leads to less strain on the rotation. The Cardinals already do a good job of this. Seattle had the ninth-ranked bullpen ERA in the regular season at 3.72 with the Cardinals right behind at 3.74.

Young pitching is the key, but the Mariners put themselves right in the contention for a playoff spot this year and then doubled down with a big trade to bring in Eugenio Suarez. This type of idea doesn't need to come until the season itself, but it obviously helped Seattle. All in all, pitching is the key. If you give up fewer runs than other teams, then your offense doesn't need to do as much. The Mariners have shown you can win without a $300 million-plus payroll. The Cardinals should obviously throw more money at the team, but this is the model to follow.

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