5 burning questions the St. Louis Cardinals are nowhere close to answering

The St. Louis Cardinals have had an up-and-down start to the 2025 season but have to be encouraged by the consistent offense that has been on display since making the move north from Jupiter. After a series sweep on opening weekend, the Cardinals lost the next series before their first road trip of the year. The first stop in Boston was unforgiving to the pitching staff, as the team was swept by the Red Sox prior to their first NL opponent and division matchup against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

John Mozeliak is out as the main decision-maker for the Cardinals after this season, setting up Chaim Bloom to get his hands on an organization in need of a major revamp. Mozeliak's presence limits Bloom's ability to start the process, which also creates a lack of clarity in the direction the club is going. Before Opening Day, I wrote about questions that the Cardinals must answer during 2025, but the first week-plus of the year has created more that must be answered sooner than later.

With Mozeliak still at the helm, what questions remain before the Bloom era begins?

1. What is the long-term plan at catcher?

Ivan Herrera's powerful start to the season has created a larger discussion about the Cardinals' current catching tandem and what manager Oli Marmol needs to prioritize when setting the lineup every day. Going into the season, it seemed there would be a constant question of offense or defense when making the batting order, but Herrera's power surge over the past week makes it difficult to say that he should not be in the lineup on a daily basis. However, Herrera has played in seven of the team's nine games, and the main reasoning behind this split with backup catcher Pedro Pages focuses on Herrera's inability to control the running game.

Even after Herrera spent the offseason at Driveline to work on his throwing, opposing teams are still choosing to run on Herrera and have been successful in all seven of their stolen base attempts. This has put Marmol in a tough spot when setting either the starting lineup or making late-game decisions, and the manager has shifted towards a defensive mindset early in games where the Cardinals lead, which has caused a split among fans for what choices he should make and when. The inability to control the running game is not just on Herrera, with the pitchers not doing their jobs to hold runners. Pages was originally scheduled to start Saturday's game against the Red Sox with Andre Pallante on the mound even though Herrera had hit his fourth homer of the season a day before, but bad weather scratched that plan. With a doubleheader Sunday and a lefty on the mound, Herrera drew the start in the first game, and Pages geared up for the nightcap.

In a scene that nobody wanted to see during the first game of the twinbill, Herrera left the game with an apparent leg injury after running the bases, and the Cardinals are scheduling additional testing. Early reports say that the catcher may have avoided serious injury, but fans will be watching closely for how quickly he can get back into the lineup after his initial IL placement. This brought Pages into emergency duty, and he did his best to pick up where Herrera left off. Pages hit two doubles and picked off a runner in another heartbreaking extra-inning loss after blowing the lead in the ninth. While Pages is nowhere near the offensive player that Herrera is, he did have a nice spring at the dish and started the 2025 season off with six hits, including three doubles and a homer. Without another catcher on the 40-man roster, Pages will probably be the main catcher while Herrera is out.

The question about the Cardinals' catching situation expands beyond these two backstops even though they are both in their mid-20s. Waiting in Triple-A is 23-year-old Jimmy Crooks, who has the potential to be an everyday catcher next season, if not sooner. Crooks is rated as an above-average defensive player and has shown his ability to handle the bat at each stop in the minors so far. He just missed out on MLB.com's top-100 prospect list and currently slots in as the organization's #4 prospect, taking on the starting spot at Memphis. Defensively, he has thrown out over 29% of potential base-stealers, which easily surpasses each of Herrera and Pages.

Behind Crooks are two more catchers who rank in the organization's top 10, with switch-hitting Leonardo Bernal (#7) handling the pitchers at Double-A Springfield and Rainiel Rodriguez (#8) maturing in the lower levels. If Herrera's defensive issues persist and Crooks continues performing in Memphis, the Cardinals may have to look deeper into Herrera's future outlook behind the plate. Willson Contreras' presence at first base makes a move there improbable in the short term, and I am usually against the idea of moving a young player to a full-time DH role until other options have been explored. This will be a situation to monitor throughout the entire season as long as everyone keeps hitting and the news on Herrera's injury is nothing severe.

2. When will the young arms be called up to take over the pitching staff?

Before the Red Sox series, I wrote how the Cardinals starting pitching was doing their job to keep the team in games, but that was before Erick Fedde allowed six runs in three innings and Miles Mikolas matched that performance with a blowup in the nightcap in the doubleheader against the Red Sox. Three of the five current starters in the St. Louis rotation have expiring contracts, with Sonny Gray and Mikolas also holding no-trade clauses in their deals. If they cannot perform to at least league-average standards, interest around the league may be lukewarm at best and the Cardinals would hate to eat salary in a DFA scenario.

Matthew Liberatore and Andre Pallante are the only starters in the rotation under the age of 32 and also the only two under contract beyond the 2025 season. Both pitchers are expected to have long leashes this year in their starting role, with Liberatore finally getting an extended look after winning the fifth starter job in spring. Pallante was the bright spot in an underwhelming rotation last year and hopes to build off of that success as he enters his arbitration years. Beyond an injury or miserable performance, each of the two should expect to be in St. Louis next year and could be the "veteran" arms in a rotation that may have three open spots next year.

The organization appears to have major-league-ready talent in Quinn Mathews and Michael McGreevy waiting at Memphis. Mathews, the 2024 Minor League Pitcher of the Year, impressed in his short spring in big league camp but was never really expected to crack the rotation out of camp and will finish his development in Triple-A. McGreevy appeared to be in the running for a role as the sixth starter in St. Louis, but the team opted to keep a traditional five-man rotation with veteran Steven Matz moving to the bullpen, relegating McGreevy to the minors.

Other top pitching prospects Tink Hence (#3) and Cooper Hjerpe (#6) were thought to be candidates to make debuts in St. Louis in the near future, but each is sitting on the minor league injured list without much clarity on their rehab process. It would be unrealistic to think that the oldest arm in the rotation next year would be Pallante at 27 years old, so Bloom will be tasked with finding an established veteran to lead the staff, either as an ace or as a clubhouse leader. That free-agent target may depend on how this year's team performs. They probably will shy away from offering a big contract to an established ace and look in the depths of the free agent market that could be low-risk and a potential trade chip at the deadline.

Erick Fedde and Steven Matz could be out of St. Louis before the offseason if they perform at a decent level and up their trade value. Either of these two could open up a rotation spot where Mathews, McGreevy, or 27th man in the doubleheader. Gordon Graceffo could slide in and get an early audition for the 2026 campaign. In his one-game call-up, Graceffo was forced into action with two outs in the third inning thanks to Mikolas' short start. After allowing a homer to Alex Bregman, he struck out the next hitter to stop the bleeding. The cut reopened during the rest of his three-inning appearance, and he gave up seven total runs in three innings of his first rehearsal.

In the short minor league season to this point, Mathews has struggled with his command, walking nine batters in 7.2 innings. The lefty led all of the minors in strikeouts last season but has only tallied five total punchouts in his two starts. McGreevy has also had two starts, one good and one bad. In his season debut, McGreevy gave up four runs in four innings before bouncing back with a five-inning shutout with five strikeouts in his next start.

3. What is Nolan Gorman's future with the Cardinals?

Nolan Gorman went from priority to bench piece when the Cardinals opted to keep Nolan Arenado after attempting a trade and Victor Scott II won the starting center field job, which moved Brendan Donovan to the everyday second base spot. Alec Burleson's offensive floor and Luken Baker's power potential made them designated hitter priorities along with Contreras filling in when the team wants to get him off the field.

Through the first week of the season, Gorman only played in two games and made his nine plate appearances count. He tallied four hits in his eight at-bats with a homer, a double, and only one strikeout before an off-day announcement that he was placed on the 10-day injured list with an injured hamstring. This created an opportunity for #5 prospect Thomas Saggese to make his second appearance in St. Louis. Saggese's own future is clouded, especially if Gorman comes back and performs. Gorman is expected to miss the minimum amount of time with the hamstring injury, which would most likely send Saggese back down to Memphis.

When the strong lefty returns to the active roster, he will again likely fill a bench spot who may draw starts at second when Donovan moves to the outfield, or at designated hitter if Marmol prefers the matchup rather than with incumbent left-handed DH Burleson. In the short-term, only Burleson struggling or an injury to an everyday player may open up a spot for Gorman to prove himself with consistent at-bats. It does not make much sense to option him to the minors, either. He is only 25 years old, but this season is already his fourth year where he has received major league playing time.

Gorman looked like the second baseman of the future after he popped 27 homers in 2023 and showed an improvement after the position change to the keystone. Another position change could be in the cards for Gorman if top prospect JJ Wetherholt keeps advancing through the low minors. The Cardinals will have to make a decision on Wetherholt's defensive home as well, with Masyn Winn expected to hold the shortstop job for the foreseeable future. Wetherholt played second in the spring but will work at his primary position at short for the time being. If Arenado sticks around, Gorman will again be left without a position to receive everyday at-bats unless Burleson fails to take advantage of the strong side of the designated hitter platoon.

The former first-round draft pick will enter his first year of arbitration eligibility after this season, so he will need to demonstrate improved plate discipline and keep hitting for power if he wants to cash in this offseason. I would be surprised if the Cardinals saw him as a non-tender candidate because of his age and left-handed bat that can play multiple infield positions.

4. What will it take to revisit Nolan Arenado trade talks?

All of the baseball world is aware of the Nolan Arenado trade saga that took place since the start of the offseason and John Mozeliak's announcement that trading the superstar was priority one, two, and three for the Cardinals. Well, a week into the season and Arenado is still the team's third baseman and has been performing well, including hitting a huge homer during the opening homestand and showing off his Gold Glove-caliber defense.

After a failed trade to the Astros, Arenado stated that he would not increase his trade list from the current five teams (Dodgers, Angels, Yankees, Astros, and Red Sox) and Mozeliak said that the organization did not plan to reach out to any of these suitors unless there was a real opportunity for a deal. So what would a real opportunity for a trade look like?

Including this year, Arenado has three years left on his current contract, so an acquiring team would have to have a long-term opening at third base as well as the financial capacity to take on his remaining deal. Arenado did float the idea that he would be open to playing first base in the future, but his defense provides so much value at third that the move across the diamond may not be an actual offer just yet.

The Cardinals could open up trade discussions again if Arenado asks them to check in or if Nolan Gorman is able to prove his value when he returns from the injured list. Gorman taking off would make for a great discussion about the team's infield configuration of the future. If the lefty can come back and go on an extended hot stretch, it is possible the organization makes some calls to the teams that are on Arenado's list if they have a need.

Outside of either of those two scenarios, Arenado is most likely stuck in St. Louis unless the Cardinals are approached with a massive offer to take him off their hands. It would take a long-term injury to any of those teams' current third basemen, and they would also need to be lacking an option that is already in their organization.

5. Will any of the Cardinals' future pieces be extended during the season?

Colleague Thomas Gauvain wrote an extensive (pun kind of intended?) piece on Cardinals' players who could be options for the team to extend early in the Chaim Bloom era. Without having any information or details to back it up, I would think Mozeliak's presence is a main hang-up in extension talks with any of these players. Mozeliak probably does not want his last year in charge in St. Louis to go down as a failure, especially since it would mean three straight seasons of missing the postseason and potentially finishing the season under .500 in two of those years. Because of this, he may be hesitant to let any of the obvious trade pieces go, as seen by the fact that Gray, Mikolas, Fedde, Matz, Ryan Helsley, and Arenado all remain with the organization.

Ownership gave the order to trim the major league payroll so that money can be spent on the team's player development model, and Mozeliak checked that box by only making one signing in the offseason, handing a $2 million deal to reliever Phil Maton and allowing expensive and underperforming Paul Goldschmidt to walk. If they want even more money saved, those earlier names could be shipped out for cash savings, but a rebuilding team needs younger players rather than luxury tax room. When Bloom was in Tampa Bay and even in his early days with the Red Sox, he was tasked with competing in a strong division with a tight payroll, and that could be his job once more when he officially takes over.

The thing about Bloom, though, is that he was able to either keep the team competitive with the Rays or build a strong foundation with a top minor league system like he did with Boston. The Cardinals' top prospect pool is top-loaded with talent but is lacking the overall depth needed to continue to home-grow pieces. This may force the team to have to lock in their current MLB players with an extension so they have cost certainty beyond arbitration. However, Bloom may not have the power to offer those contracts with Mozeliak in the driver's seat, and anyone Mo wants to sign would probably have to be cross-checked by Bloom. This gray area of power speaks to the current state of the Cardinals and may prevent them from again choosing a firm direction until Bloom takes over.

If they were to sign players to an extension, it most likely will not be a massive long-term deal like those of Jackson Merrill and Kristian Campbell, but probably be a contract that buys out a current big league player's arbitration years and adds another year or two at a low cost. Lars Nootbaar's start to the season should be something that the Cardinals like to see and potentially sit down with Nootbaar's agent to lock him in if he keeps it up. His offensive abilities and strong start as the team's leadoff hitter are intriguing enough to at least look to avoid another arbitration hearing and keep him locked in St. Louis for a handful of years.

The team's new leader, Brendan Donovan, would be another candidate for this type of extension and has shown enough to be rewarded with another deal. Long-term extensions for the young players like Masyn Winn, Jordan Walker, and Victor Scott II will probably have to wait until Bloom is in office full time and gets the chance to fully evaluate their future. On the pitching side, Matthew Liberatore or Andre Pallante could be looking for a deal, but their 2025 seasons in the rotation will hold a lot of weight for the new regime, even as the cost of pitching rises around the league.