Chaim Bloom moves on from key advisor with deep ties to Cardinals organization

The St. Louis Cardinals announced another key transition was occurring from their leadership this offseason, as the club and former special advisor to John Mozeliak, Joe McEwing, are set to part ways as Chaim Bloom takes the helm of the organization.

McEwing, who grew up in the Cardinals organization as a prospect and became a fan favorite during his rookie season in 1999, has spent the last three years with the organization in various roles, and he actually joined the club during a critical pinch point prior to their on-field demise.

The Cardinals are parting ways with former bench coach and special advisor to John Mozeliak, Joe McEwing

Just a month before pitchers and catchers were set to report to Jupiter, Florida, the St. Louis Cardinals were scrambling to find a last-minute replacement for their bench coach opening.

Matt Holliday, who had agreed to succeed Skip Schumaker in that role earlier in the offseason, decided to forgo that commitment due to the time it would take away from his family. The Cardinals had to quickly pivot to find a quality bench coach to step into that role, and Joe McEwing rose to the occasion.

We all know how the next few months went, though. The Cardinals had one of their worst seasons in franchise history, and following their 71-91 record on the field that year, McEwing was removed from his bench coach duties and given a new title as special advisor to John Mozeliak.

McEwing has spent the last two years with the Cardinals organization in that role, but as Bloom looks to reshape the club's leadership moving forward, it appears that they did not see McEwing as a fit for that moving forward, or at least McEwing was looking for a different opportunity than what St. Louis was willing to offer.

McEwing is not the first transition we have seen under Bloom's leadership. Last offseason, former general manager Michael Girsch was moved out of that role, and while he still remains with the organization currently, he too could be on the move. Former head of player development Gary LaRoque moved into retirement to clear the way for Bloom and Rob Cerfolio to take on the reins in that area. Special assistant Matt Slater also parted ways last offseason. Before the end of this past season, hitting coordinator Russ Steinhorn also announced that the club was parting ways with him.

It is unclear how many more transitions there will be this offseason, but Bloom has made it clear that he is more concerned with bringing in additional voices rather than just clearing house. That doesn't mean more changes aren't coming, though, or current front office voices may look for new opportunities, even if the club would like to retain them.

Prior to 2023, McEwing gained a wealth of coaching experience with the Chicago White Sox, filling multiple roles in both the minor leagues and at the Major League level, finishing his time there as a bench coach as well. We will see this offseason if McEwing is able to find another coaching gig or role in a front office.