5 bold predictions for the St. Louis Cardinals in 2025

Bold predictions are fun. You can be outlandish, unrealistic, and even audacious. It's a way to project one's own feelings and desires onto a team for a season. Will they become real? Rarely. Will they be fun at first? Of course, and that's why fans and pundits enjoy making them.

For the St. Louis Cardinals, they've been all but bold this offseason. Their largest (and only) major-league free agent contract went to right-handed reliever Phil Maton on March 13th. Nary a trade was made except for one that involved cash and a utility man named Michael Helman. "Bold" is not the word I would use to describe the Cardinals' offseason.

While plenty of changes went on under the hood of the organization, such as the additions of Rob Cerfolio, Matt Pierpont, Brant Brown, and Carl Kochan, the surface of the team remains largely unchanged. These behind-the-scenes additions come thanks to future president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom before he takes over the helm.

The departures of Paul Goldschmidt, Andrew Kittredge, Lance Lynn, and Kyle Gibson barely shifted the needle for the young players. Willson Contreras is shifting to first base, the rotation still features several pitchers over the age of 32, Nolan Arenado is still at third base, and the outfield remains a mess. Ryan Helsley will still be the team's closer in his final contracted season with the club.

Young players with something to prove such as Jordan Walker, Nolan Gorman, Alec Burleson, and Ivan Herrera will be given plenty of run in one way or another this year. "Veterans" such as Lars Nootbaar, Brendan Donovan, and even Masyn Winn will be centerpieces in the lineup each night, too.

The Cardinals have preached a youth movement all offseason, but they're at least starting the year off with top prospects such as Quinn Mathews, Thomas Saggese, Victor Scott II, and possibly even Michael McGreevy in the minors. Room may open up for these youngsters via injuries or underperformance by the end of the year, but the "youth movement" that fans expected isn't coming to fruition just yet.

Add all of this together, and you have a confusing outlook for a team in a confusing time. The Cardinals have been perennial contenders for most of this century. Under John Mozeliak's tenure, they've won several division titles, a World Series, and even two National League pennants. As he enters his final year, things will be a bit different. No longer are the Cardinals aiming for success via wins and losses. Now, they're measuring success by player development. A division title would be nice, but progression of players like Walker, Gorman, Nootbaar, McGreevy, and Burleson is probably more important to the front office this year.

Being bold following an offseason of timid behavior by the organization is challenging. However, it's a necessary task that should be undertaken nonetheless.

Without further ado, let's make some bold predictions that probably won't come true in 2025.

Here are 5 bold predictions for the St. Louis Cardinals for the 2025 season.