Chaim Bloom suggests budding Cardinals star was victim of developmental disarray

In some ways, the growth of a baseball prospect is like the rearing of a child: Much as children with loving parents generally experience better life outcomes, a prospect raised in a strong foundation by a team that knows how to maximize his strengths will be more likely to thrive. 

Therefore, it's a minor miracle that Ivan Herrera has turned out this well.

The St. Louis Cardinals' prospect development system was completely broken by the end of John Mozeliak's time as the team's president of baseball operations, as the team had failed to grow a superstar from within since Yadier Molina nearly a quarter of a century ago and was lagging in modern technology and analytical scouting and development methods.

Despite the odds, the 25-year-old Herrera served as one of the St. Louis Cardinals' best hitters in 2025, holding a slash line of .284/.373/.464, ranking third on the team in batting average and second in on-base percentage. But for all of his success at the plate, his defense behind it has been a sticking point throughout his major league tenure, so much so that the Cardinals used him primarily as a designated hitter and even experimented with playing him in the outfield for a few games last season. But Herrera has expressed a desire to give catching another shot, and new president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom appears to believe that under the team's new regime, Herrera can flourish in a way that he never could under Mozeliak's rule.

Bloom believes the previous iteration of the Cardinals did not aptly prepare Herrera for the major leagues.

In a discussion with the media during the Winter Meetings, Bloom spoke candidly about the how the Cardinals developed Herrera under Mozeliak.

"I don't think, when you look a the entirety of his career, I'm not sure he was ever really set up for success at that position because of a number of factors ... Some of it's just about the state of the organization, what else is a available at the position internally where you might not get that fair shot, and yet you're being asked to perform in the big leagues, so you're not in a fair teaching environment."

Chaim Bloom

Bloom spoke further about Herrera's desire to catch and said that with a minor league system that is now more "built out," not only may Herrera be able to improve his arm strength after rehabbing his elbow and undergoing a throwing program at Driveline, but he could also learn more about the "X's and O's" of catching.

Bloom's comments are a heavy indictment on how Mozeliak allowed the Cardinals' prospect development to enter a tailspin. The front office appeared to fall head over heels with Herrera's bat while seeming to believe that his defense would work itself out at the major league level, much as Mozeliak and company thought former catcher Willson Contreras would be a near one-for-one replacement of Molina behind the plate. With catchers generally needing more time in the minor leagues than those at other positions, it's likely that the Cardinals' choice to advance Herrera through the ranks at a relatively quick pace contributed to an unfinished product at the highest level.

Herrera would be far from the first young prospect not to reach his potential ceiling within the Cardinals' maligned system. Jordan Walker and Nolan Gorman are two recent first-round picks who have stalled with the Cardinals. Of note is the fact that they were drafted out of high school, whereas some of the more successful homegrown Cardinals, such as Brendan Donovan and Alec Burleson, were drafted out of college, where they were provided with more developmental time and thus came to the Cardinals as more polished pieces. Still, as an international prospect whom the Cardinals signed at age 16, Herrera has managed, at least at the plate, to buck the trend of young draftees and signings struggling with the major league club.

The Cardinals have spoken with Molina about him potentially appearing at more games in 2026 and helping the catchers. There are likely few humans alive who would be a better instructor than Molina for that craft, so Herrera should use as much time as possible to seek advice from the catching sage.

Although most fans and analysts expect little of the Cardinals in 2026, Herrera's progress behind the plate will be a storyline worth following. If Herrera can evolve into a satisfactory catcher, it will be a massive win for the Cardinals under Bloom and further confirmation that Mozeliak's departure was long overdue. Perhaps with Bloom at the helm, the Cardinals can once again become a loving, nurturing parent club that is able to coax every ounce of potential out of its prospects.