Cardinals News: Nolan Arenado, John Mozeliak's shopping list, setting up Chaim Bloom

The St. Louis Cardinals continue to be paralyzed by the Nolan Arenado saga, and if things do not materialize in the next few weeks, John Mozeliak and the Cardinals coaching staff expect Arenado to be with the team when camp begins.

Just a few months ago, it felt like a foregone conclusion that Arenado would be traded this offseason, but as the clock keeps ticking and the calendar approaches February, the odds that he remains a Cardinal increase by the day.

Look, it just takes the right team and a deal to present itself for the Cardinals to move Arenado, and they still have every intention of making that happen, but neither side is afraid of a scenario where Arenado sticks with St. Louis this year. Both sides would prefer to find a deal here soon, but Arenado is desperate. He's not "dying" to get out of St. Louis. So if the Cardinals cannot find a team that Arenado feels comfortable going to, then he's ready to man third base once again for St. Louis.

Cardinals News: John Mozeliak's shopping list, setting up Chaim Bloom

In case you missed it last week, Mozeliak did identify two different areas they would be interested in adding to their roster, but it doesn't seem like they plan to make any signings if they are not able to move Arenado.

The two needs Mozeliak identified are a bullpen arm and a right-handed bat, preferably one with "thump". I found six different players in free agency that fit what they are looking for, and you can check them out here.

If the Cardinals add a right-handed bat, it would make a lot of sense for that player to have center field flexibility. The Cardinals struggled against left-handed pitching last year, and both of their center field options, Michael Siani and Victor Scott II, were among the worst hitters on the team in those spots.

Adding a bullpen arm makes a lot of sense as well. Andrew Kittredge played a huge role in their success last year but just signed a one-year deal with the Baltimore Orioles. While the Cardinals would like to let some of their young arms get shots at winning bullpen jobs, another veteran option would be wise to add to their mix if they want to compete next year.

Don't expect the Cardinals to hand out any multi-year deals though. While fans may be frustrated by that, Mozeliak's reasoning does make sense when you consider the multi-year plan they've laid out.

The Cardinals prefer to leave a "clean slate" for Chaim Bloom when he takes over after the 2025 season. While obviously Bloom should advocate for multi-year deals if they fit his vision, the worst thing the Cardinals can do between now and next offseason would be to hand out a bad, long-term contract that Bloom has to navigate his way around in the future. The less money the Cardinals have on the books for 2026, the more room Bloom has to work and add to this roster in his vision.