Chaim Bloom Hints At Upcoming Cardinals Offseason Addition

The St. Louis Cardinals are going to add a piece or two...

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-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

The St. Louis Cardinals aren’t likely to go out and make a plethora of moves, but that doesn’t mean the club won’t add any pieces.

Even if St. Louis really does rebuild — which seems likely — the club will still need to field a team. The club’s rotation is thin and new chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom noted on Tuesday that the club will look to add a pitcher this winter, as shared by Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

The St. Louis Cardinals are going to add

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-Imagn Images | Winslow Townson-Imagn Images

"Bloom and field manager Oli Marmol cultivated a relationship all season that grew into recent conversations about this offseason and next season that revealed the plan to keep Marmol in place," Goold said. "Marmol’s contract expires at the end of 2026, and Bloom did not dismiss the idea of exploring an extension at some point this offseason. That does not mean there won’t be changes.

"For example, Bloom said he’ll go shopping for players. This previous offseason, as the Cardinals sought to trim payroll and begin the transition to Bloom’s leadership, they did not sign a free agent to a major league contract until spring training. Bloom said he plans to look into the free-agent market to fill a need in the rotation, add a veteran reliever for the bullpen and possibly add depth. Chairman Bill DeWitt Jr. and Bloom have not talked payroll budget yet — that will be set in part by the financial picture the Cardinals have at the end of next month."

Right now, the Cardinals' two guaranteed starters for 2026 are Michael McGreevy and Matthew Liberatore. Andre Pallante is likely in that category as well despite a bad 2025 season. Sonny Gray is going to be on the trade block and Miles Mikolas is going to be a free agent.

The top starting pitcher heading to free agency will be Framber Valdez, but he likely is out of St. Louis' price range. Guys like Aaron Civale, Nestor Cortes, Dustin May, or Martín Perez probably are closer fits to the Cardinals, but that is just speculation at this point.

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