Cardinals players competing in international tournament have support of management

A new year is here, and the countdown to Spring Training is on. With a little over a month before pitchers and catchers report to their respective temporary homes, fans have differing views on how their teams have attacked the offseason thus far. This holds true for St. Louis Cardinals fans, who tend to agree with the moves made by Chaim Bloom, while others may still be holding out hope for much more action.

Those of us who are still getting excited for the 2026 season, regardless of the Cardinals' direction, are also going to be given a little treat this year. From March 5 through 17, fans will be treated to the sixth World Baseball Classic, taking place in Florida, Texas, Puerto Rico, and Japan. There will be 20 different nations represented in the games, with current and former major league players getting the opportunity to represent their home countries. The Cardinals are no stranger to this, as they had 19 players participate in the tournament in 2023, and that level of participation had people wondering if it was good for their health before a long MLB season.

Chaim Bloom supports Cardinals players who participate in the World Baseball Classic.

Ivan Herrera is the Cardinal who most recently committed to playing in the WBC and there could be more announced soon. Even with the tournament taking the players away from their major league organization during the exhibition season, Cardinals players who wish to compete have the support of Chaim Bloom. The POBO was on KMOX with Tom Ackerman on Sunday, and the host asked Bloom what he felt about the Classic as a whole before diving into the team impact.

The Spring Training clubhouse definitely felt the absence of so many players, with Bloom saying that although he was not with the team in 2023, the "organization and the spring training vibe was impacted by so many departures." He was not using the tournament as an excuse, but he also said he appreciates that it is not held every year. An annual schedule would impact the spring season every year and eventually lead to an overall shift in the calendar, but Bloom also felt that the spread-out nature of the WBC helps to keep the excitement level high.

Finally, Bloom said that the tournament is an overall mixed bag for someone in his role. While he loves the opportunity for the guys to represent their country, "You'd love to have your group together in camp," especially in a year with so much evaluation to be had. The full rosters have not been released, but Bloom did suggest that some coaches from the Cardinals staff will also be coaching for some participating teams, so there will be catching up to do on all sides when the event ends. One of the advantages of hanging onto manager Oli Marmol this season is that the absences of players or staff may have less impact on the overall clubhouse than if Bloom were to have brought in a new manager.