Multiple Cardinals NL Central rivals could undergo pre-lockout front office makeovers

In the first year under Chaim Bloom, the St. Louis Cardinals have thrived. They're in the thick of a hotly contested National League Wild Card race despite the fact that this was supposed to be a "rebuilding" year, and multiple young players have emerged as genuine stars, forming the foundation of the next Redbirds core.

For all intents and purposes, it appears that the Cardinals have found their John Mozeliak successor on their first try. Who knows exactly how his tenure wil play out once this team aims to be a World Series contender again, but for now, the front office looks as stable as any in baseball.

The same cannot be said for the rest of the NL Central. The Cubs (Jed Hoyer) and Brewers (Matt Arnold) continue to have tremendous success under their top executives, but both the Pirates (Ben Cherington) and Reds (Nick Krall) remain in the cellar of the division despite taking some win-now efforts last winter.

With a paradigm-shifting lockout looming, it's possible that both of those latter two teams could be looking to change the person calling the shots this offseason.

Reds' Nick Krall is firmly on the hot seat as they sink to bottom of the NL Central

FanSided's Robert Murray made sure to single out Krall in particular following the Reds' trade deadline performance, which the insider called the "most confusing deadline of any team." That was an outright suggestion that Cincinnati's president of baseball operations is on the hot seat heading into the offseason.

Since Krall took over as the head of baseball ops in 2021, he and the Reds have not had much success. They're about 40 games under .500 in that time, finishing third or worse in the division every season. There's also just one playoff appearance mixed in there, when they snuck in as the final Wild Card a year ago only to get blitzed by the Dodgers in the first round of the postseason.

Considering that they've gotten worse since the October disappointment, failed to build toward the future at the deadline, and have significant decisions (e.g., an Elly De La Cruz contract extension) looming, it wouldn't be surprising at all if someone new is tabbed to run the Reds in 2027 and beyond.

Pirates' Ben Cherington might be safe despite team's second-half swoon

Krall wasn't the only executive that Murray went after, however. He also pointed to Pittsburgh, where Ben Cherington simply hasn't been able to pilot the Pirates to success. His tenure as general manager has just hit 1,000 games, and they haven't posted a single winning season (or reached the postseason) in his seven-year tenure.

However, they have gotten far more competitive this year, and Murray isn't ready to call it quits on the Cherington era. "On the Pirates: with Ben Cherington signed through 2027 and the lockout uncertainty, I'm leaning toward him staying in Pittsburgh after this season."

A dismal second half that has pushed them down the standings may change that sentiment, but the Pirates are no stranger to losing. If they've stuck it out with Cherington this long, it's not unreasonable to suggest that they'll give him another year to build on his first-half success from 2026.

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