5 questions Chaim Bloom must answer in his first offseason running the Cardinals

When the 2025 season comes to a close, the real work for the St. Louis Cardinals begins.

The organization is entering a multi-year rebuild according to Katie Woo of The Athletic, something the fans of the Cardinals haven't had to go through in decades. "As the regular season comes to a close, several team sources within the organization have expressed various levels of concern regarding how long it will take for the Cardinals to return to contention."

John Mozeliak is set to leave his role as the club's president of baseball operations at the end of the season. Chaim Bloom will replace him, and his real work will begin this offseason.

Bloom has spent the last two years vetting and working behind the scenes trying to fix the farm system and player development. He and assistant general manager Rob Cerfolio have been incrementally altering the pipeline and minor league teams to prepare for this rebuild, and they'll continue their work next year.

"Bloom and assistant general manager Rob Cerfolio implemented measures to improve the franchise’s infrastructure," writes Woo. "They will continue to oversee and expand on those changes once Bloom takes over at the end of the season."

The work that Chaim Bloom does this winter on many levels will help jumpstart the Cardinals' return to relevancy in the National League Central and beyond. He has many questions that he'll look to answer in his first offseason as a result of this change in power.

Question #1: Which players will get traded this offseason?

You'll notice I have a plural subject there.

There are several logjams on the roster right now (first base, corner outfield, catcher) that will have to be solved this winter. The fact that the Cardinals used the 2025 season to evaluate which players would be a part of their long-term plans also contributes to the need for trades this winter. If the organization, specifically Chaim Bloom, didn't get answers from this runway season, it was for nothing. Hopefully, Bloom has an idea of whom he wants to keep for the near future and whom he wants to trade.

There are several places from which the Cardinals could trade. Let's start with those players who have no-trade clauses.

Nolan Arenado is more than likely gone this offseason. His words alone point towards a departure. The veteran third baseman is still owed $31 million over the next two years, a sizable contract for a mid-30s third baseman who is a below-average hitter. Willson Contreras has proven that he can be a capable first baseman with an OPS around .800. He could be moved this winter. Finally, we have Sonny Gray. Gray is a free agent after the 2026 season, but he's owed $35 million next year, and he's been fading these last two years.

The Cardinals could also trade from their corner outfield depth. Lars Nootbaar, Jordan Walker, Alec Burleson, Brendan Donovan, and possibly even Jordan Walker could be on the move. I wouldn't be surprised to see two of these players traded this winter to provide pitching depth and room on the roster.

Finally, the Cardinals should trade from their catching depth. With Ivan Herrera set to return to catching duties next year, the Cardinals will now have four catchers on their roster: Ivan Herrera, Pedro Pages, Jimmy Crooks, and Yohel Pozo. That won't stay the same next year. They also have substantial prospect depth at catcher in Leonardo Bernal and Rainiel Rodriguez. One or more of these players could be moved this offseason to fill holes in other areas on the roster.