MLB executive involved in 2 successful rebuilds sees a quick turnaround for Cardinals

Mike Elias knows a thing or two about successful rebuilds, and he doesn't expect the St. Louis Cardinals' attempt to take very long.

Elias, who was a scout with the Cardinals from 2007 to 2011, was a key part of rebuilding the Houston Astros alongside Jeff Luhnow in the 2010s, serving as the club's scouting director and then assistant general manager all the way through the 2018 season. Elias was then named the general manager and vice president of the Baltimore Orioles and helped them navigate through a rebuild and get back to contention in the American League East.

When Elias was asked by Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch about the Cardinals' rebuild, Elias reflected on how difficult a period rebuilding can be, but he expects Chaim Bloom to be able to turn the club around rather quickly.

“I think this is going to go on the quicker side in their case,” said Orioles president of baseball operations Mike Elias. “The first emotion both times that I’ve been part of it is, frankly, relief. It is a very arduous process. It’s not guaranteed to work. And a lot has to go right. Winning in the major leagues is really hard, and it’s really fragile."

Mike Elias, a former Cardinals scout and leader in two succcessful rebuilds, thinks St. Louis will rebound quickly.

I highly recommend reading the entire piece from Goold when you get a chance, as he asked players and executives around the league about the Cardinals' rebuild, as well as a few celebrity fans who care deeply about this organization. But I really did find Elias' quote to be especially interesting, given his participation in other, more "full-scale" rebuilds.

When Elias joined Luhnow in Houston as a special assistant before a quick promotion to director of scouting, the Astros were preparing for a true tanking-style rebuild. Coming off a 56-win season in 2011, the Astros wouldn't win more than 55 games in a season until 2014, when they jumped to 70 wins, and they made the playoffs for the first time under their leadership in 2015, 10 years after their last playoff appearance and seven years after the last winning season.

But after that deep rebuild, the Astros went on to make the playoffs eight straight years from 2017-2024, winning the World Series twice, four American League pennants, and seven consecutive trips to the ALCS. That was quite the run!

When Elias took over the Orioles following the 2018 season, they were coming off a 47-win campaign, and did not post a winning record until 2022. Elias led them to 101-win and 91-win seasons in 2023 and 2024, and expects the club to be back in contention in 2026 after a bad year last season. Like in Houston, Elias had Baltimore bottom out for a few years to acquire young talent, and now the club is led by the likes of Gunnar Henderson, Adley Rutschman, and Jackson Holliday.

Bloom doesn't appear to need that same approach as he takes over in St. Louis. Yes, the Cardinals have not been playing to their standard of baseball in recent years, but we are talking about a club that has averaged 77 wins over the last three seasons, not a true bottom-feeder like the Astros and Orioles, who were topping out at 55 wins year over year.

When Bloom was hired as an advisor to the Cardinals for the 2024 season, he quickly identified their main issue: player development. Sure, they had room to grow in scouting, player acquisition, and even some field staff changes, but for the most part, it was an outdated player development system that had been their Achilles' heel. During the 2025 season, Bloom began to implement staffing changes, philosophical shifts, and investments in player development and performance to hopefully get ahead of the curve someday, and that has already led to some early returns on investment.

The Cardinals were diligent in adding more young talent this offseason and will continue to do so in the coming years, but they didn't need to tear the entire organization to the studs and build it back up. There is good young talent on the Major League roster that they can build around. There are high-upside prospects in the system that can be developed. And the talent they are adding should be helping build upon what is already present in St. Louis, not replace it fully.

So when Elias says this should be on the "quicker side" of a rebuild, that's what he is pointing to. The Cardinals don't need to go on a three- to four-year journey of competing for the number one overall pick (which isn't even possible now in the new draft lottery format), because they already have a young core to build with.

For Bloom to rebuild this organization, it started with revamping player development and creating a culture of always seeking a new edge. That then concided with bringing more cohesion and collaboration between the player development, player performance, pro scouting, amateur scouting, and international scouting departments to optimize the talent they are acquiring and developing moving forward. And both of those processes are a never-ending journey involving many unsung heroes who help make this operation flow.

If things go well, the Cardinals should be looking to compete in the next few years, not bottom out for more talent. The massive jump the farm system made over the last calendar year seems to support that, as does the continued development of talent in St. Louis and the continued acquisition of more exciting youngsters.

Only time will tell if the Cardinals "bloom" under this new regime. But it's nice to hear someone who has been a part of a few successful rebuilds see a quick return to winning for St. Louis.