4 ways Chaim Bloom is already rectifying John Mozeliak's mistakes

1. Calling out development errors

We've known for a few years now that the Cardinals are behind their peers when it comes to player development. We've seen players like Jordan Walker, Nolan Gorman, and others find success as prospects only to falter once they make it to the majors.

The most recent player mentioned as a victim of poor player development was catcher and designated hitter Ivan Herrera. Herrera has proven his value on the offensive side of the game since making his debut. He has a career .286/.370/.436 slash line. He took his offense to another level last year with a .837 slugging percentage and 19 home runs. There is little concern surrounding his bat in the majors.

Where the worries have come has been on the defensive side of the game. Herrera has struggled to throw out runners in his brief time in the majors, and Chaim Bloom hinted at poor player development being part of the reason for his defensive woes.

"I don't think, when you look at the entirety of his career, I'm not sure he was ever really set up for success at that position because of a number of factors," said Bloom of Herrera's development. "Some of it's just about the state of the organization, what else is available at the position internally where you might not get that fair shot, and yet you're being asked to perform in the big leagues, so you're not in a fair teaching environment."

The Cardinals cut back on support staff heavily around 2020, and Herrera was a victim of that smaller staff. The club continually seeking to contend also cut into Herrera's pressure to perform. Jordan Walker was also likely a victim of poor player development paired with a need to perform at the major-league level.

Bloom is already showing a willingness to work with these young players who could develop into core pieces of a contending team.