Do the Cardinals have a plan to continue one of their most impactful traditions?

The St. Louis Cardinals, more than most organizations, not only have a rich history but also pride themselves on embracing tradition and honoring the past, letting it define their future.

When it works, it creates a nostalgia-filled experience where one generation of Cardinals greats passes the baton to the next. When it flops, well, it feels forced and lacking true purpose.

Depending on whom you ask, some feel like the Cardinals have abandoned tradition and their history too much, ultimately leading to their demise. Comments from a former Cardinal great like Jim Edmonds really speak to that. Others believe the Cardinals have leaned on tradition too much, pointing to the Cardinals' propensity toward signing former players and bringing in prior voices as though every year needs to be a homecoming.

While I think both sides have fair critiques of the organization, the one tradition I am very curious to see how they'll handle moving forward may be the most impactful of them all.

Will the Cardinals continue to have all-time greats around the club moving forward?

Each generation of Cardinals baseball seems to have current or future Hall of Famers, Cardinals legends, and players with a ton of experience in October pouring into their new core as they learn to win as well. But with the current state of the Cardinals' roster and coaching staff, will they continue that tradition under Chaim Bloom's leadership?

On the outside looking in, it seems like the Cardinals will be void of players and coaches in that mold in 2026. Nolan Arenado seems destined to be traded, and Sonny Gray could be on the move as well. Outside of Willson Contreras, the Cardinals don't have a single player in uniform with a World Series pedigree.

The Cardinals' coaching staff does feature Daniel Descalso and Jon Jay, who were key supplemental pieces for the club during their last great run of baseball. No, they weren't the stars, but they do represent guys who can pass on a "winning tradition" to the young players in the clubhouse.

The allure is real with names like Albert Pujols and Yadier Molina seeking managerial gigs. Molina has been in the Cardinals' dugout for two different series this year as a guest coach and still technically holds a role as a special advisor to John Mozeliak. Having either of those legends around on a daily basis could help fill the void that seems to be there when it comes to passing down the Cardinals' winning ways.

Bloom is a baseball historian. He values the rich traditions of this game and likely will do so as well with Cardinals history. Even so, how deep will he allow his affection for baseball history to inform his decisions with a coaching staff and players on the field?

My guess is he'll manage that tension in a way fans can appreciate. Yes, it's fun to have favorites from prior eras of Cardinals baseball around, but they need to be there for a purpose.

I feel pretty confident that Oliver Marmol is going to remain the Cardinals manager in 2026, and I wouldn't bet against him being with the club long term. But I still have a hard time shaking off the potential of Molina or Pujols taking over. It feels like a Cardinals move, but is that because it's what they would have done before, and now they won't operate in that way?

Back to the players on the field. Personally, there are only four players that, to me, fit the mold of someone the Cardinals can hold onto to help raise up the "baby birds" that are coming soon.

First is Arenado, who is the only future Hall of Famer in uniform currently, but I have my doubts that he stays with St. Louis for next season. The club needs to clear path for other young infielders, and Arenado has been in decline for years now.

The second is Gray. who has wished to remain in St. Louis for now, and represents their lone starting pitcher with legit stuff and the veteran experience to pour into other arms. He has one guaranteed year left on his contract, and if he is open to being dealt this offseason, there will be interest in him around the league.

The third is Contreras, who is the lone World Series champion currently on the roster, and he has been vocal about wanting to be a part of building something in St. Louis. No, he doesn't have rich history as a Cardinal and hasn't been a part of winning teams here, but he does have that in his DNA and is a fiery persona in the clubhouse.

Lastly, I do believe Brendan Donovan fits this mold, even though he hasn't had the postseason success that you typically associate with a Cardinal in this role, and he's not a true star either. But unlike the other three players, Donovan is a homegrown player, one who is still in his prime and has years of success ahead of him. Donovan has drawn rave reviews from his teammates and coaches over the years as a leader.

I do think it is notable that Donovan was teammates with Pujols and Molina in 2022 and has a close friendship with Paul Goldschmidt, three future Hall of Famers who had tons of success with the Cardinals. Donovan may actually be that "linchpin" for the Cardinals generationally. He may not be the guy who had that team success himself, but he may be able to pass on those winning ways to his younger teammates as they build for the future.

I understand the arguments that by the time the Cardinals are "back," Donovan would likely be in his 30s and have his best years behind him. Even if that's the case, I don't think that means you have to trade him. The organization doesn't have to scrap itself of all talent that isn't uber young just because they are rebuilding. Key leaders like Donovan can help turn a youthful ballclub into contenders, showing his teammates what it takes to succeed in this game, and leading with a team-first mentality.

How Bloom will handle this will be fascinating. We are truly entering uncharted waters with this change in leadership, and it's hard to point to how the Cardinals have done things since the new regime is not beholden to those same traditions anymore.