Cardinals at a crossroads: 2 reasons to buy, 2 reasons to sell

Second reason to sell: Fix issues within the foundation

The Cardinals' major weakness is the overall foundation of their player development. With deeper issues at hand to be fixed, trading fringe players can help address this issue sooner rather than later.

The starting pitching depth in the minor leagues is depleted, no reliable relievers are being developed, and the organization has yet to produce any power-hitting threat that's a lineup mainstay in over a decade. It is always a gamble to trade MLB-proven players for unknown prospects, but the Cardinals are in an unstable situation with their organizational health. The team has tried spending money to fix roster issues, but it has failed to gel these additions with the core of the roster.

The Goldschmidt/Arenado era showcased this weakness as the team could not figure out how to utilize the talent they currently had, and how to add veteran pieces to fill in any noticeable gaps. Trading away potential talent like Lane Thomas for Jon Lester, or the Sandy Alcantara/Zac Gallen trade for two years of Marcel Ozuna, have lasting effects on the roster still to this day. As for the players acquired in deals like these two, nothing came out of it. For years, the team tried to patch holes in the walls of the roster when the foundation that was building the house was cracked and flawed.

If the Cardinals are serious about returning the franchise to its winning prestige across the league, it starts with reducing the weaknesses across the entire organization and building on from there. Once the foundation is reestablished rather than patched up, then you will see sustainable growth from all aspects. From Randy Flores continuing his draft success, to the new pieces in charge of player development to recognize what the last group did wrong, to the now fully staffed coaches to help players finally tap into their potential.

This can be established given Chaim's track record with player development, but it will take time. The Red Sox are benefiting from Chaim's success with player development, as they have four prospects in MLB top 100 prospects. Kristian Campbell and Marcelo Meyer are now at the big league level, showcasing their talent to help bring the Red Sox back into contention. With Roman Anthony claiming the top prospect in all of MLB title, he will soon shine in Boston. The Cardinals have lacked this level of player development for a long time, and finally recognized they need to get back to this level. But it all starts by taking direction and getting the ball moving, and this deadline can be the start of that for Chaim Bloom.