5 bold moves the Cardinals need to make to overhaul their organization this offseason

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The St. Louis Cardinals appear to be on the brink of some long overdue turnover at the top of the organization. Change in leadership will inevitably result in a difference in how the team is run - but how different will remain to be seen.

One of the things that made the Cardinals special in the 2000s and early 2010s was their commitment to innovation and being on the cutting edge of player development and analytics. They knew how to build a team, one that could both contend at a high level and do so for years on end. Bill DeWitt Jr. took a gamble hiring Jeff Lunhow from outside of the baseball world to come in and lead their baseball development department. His expertise in scouting and player development helped the organization in major ways.

The Cardinals need to get back to that kind of bold decision-making. Bringing in the best and most creative voices they can find who will transform and optimize their baseball operations, not just try and be "good enough". Cardinals' ownership deserves flack for how things have gone since the mid-2010s, but if they can get back to being this kind of organization again, I think fans will be able to forgive them and get back to loving this team again.

If not, well, I don't think change will appease fans for very long. Change is necessary, but it won't guarantee better results without better processes and philosophies surrounding them.

With that being said, here are five bold moves the Cardinals need to make this offseason to overhaul the organization

#1 - Empower Chaim Bloom to lead the baseball operations starting this offseason

On the surface, this isn't all that bold, but in practice, the Cardinals actually having John Mozeliak move into an advisory role or somewhere else in the organization so that Chaim Bloom can take over would be quite the shift for this organization - and definitely bold by their standards.

The Bloom chatter has only continued to grow since he was brought in as a special assistant this past offseason. Bloom has been studying and proposing changes to the organization this past year, and it all seems to be in preparation for taking over at some point.

Bob Nightengale of USA Today added fuel to the fire on Sunday when he said Bloom was expected to grow in authority this offseason, perhaps even taking over as the head of baseball decision-making. It really does appear like Bloom is on the brink of a promotion - but will it be in full control this soon?

It should be. Having Mozeliak as a lame-duck baseball operations guy when the heir apparent is already identified is odd, to say the least. I'm not someone who thinks Mozeliak needs to be fired, but he should not be calling the shots over Bloom once the season is over. Why let the guy who is going to be done next year make decisions that will impact the new man in charge?

Bloom in many ways should remind fans of what the Lunhow hire was like back in the early 2000s. Bloom obviously comes from the baseball world, but his pedigree in player development and scouting is up there with anyone in the game. Just look at the Boston Red Sox right now and how incredible that farm system has become after being dead last in baseball when he took over. Look at Tampa Bay and how they continue to vastly outperform their payroll every year.

Let Bloom get to work on overhauling this organization, including selecting his own manager, one that will maybe bridge the gap of respect, tradition, and legacy to the dugout once again.

#2 - Hire Albert Pujols as their next manager

I like Oliver Marmol as a manager. I don't necessarily think he needs to lose his job - and honestly, I'd support him staying in the seat next year. But if there is change up top, it is often followed by a change in the dugout, and Marmol hasn't accomplished enough in this league to warrant protection when cleaning house.

Especially if they can swap him out for Albert Pujols.

While I do have my reservations about bringing in a Pujols or Yadier Molina to lead the clubhouse (mainly because if things go south that is a very difficult relationship to navigate with how much they mean to the organization and fanbase). But with that being said, I think Pujols would be a home-run hire for an organization in desperate need of some wins.

Let's start with what we know - Pujols will have his first managing gig this offseason, managing Leones Del Escogido in the Dominican Winter League. Pujols has made it known he'd like to coach at the Major League level and one day become a manager. Could that happen as soon as this offseason? It would be a bold move for sure.

Bernie Miklasz reflected on the idea of Pujols managing recently on his YouTube channel, and had some terrific insight on the hypothetical hire that swayed me from the "keep Oli camp, maybe hire someone else" to "Pujols is the perfect fit".

Miklasz dropped a little nugget that, per some conversations, he was privy to when Pujols returned to St. Louis for Adam Wainwright's retirement celebration, Pujols made it known to the organization he'd like to coach and get involved with the Cardinals.

Miklasz also highlighted how respected Pujols would be the second he walked into the dugout for the Cardinals in that capacity, and we saw in 2022 how influential he was on both veterans, like Nolan Arenado, and young players, like Juan Yepez. Pujols is someone who will have a tough conversation with a player if needed but will also lead the clubhouse with honor and respect. He's also a major student of the game, and pair that with the resume he has, who wouldn't want to play for him?

Also, talk about the kind of fan response they would get from installing Pujols in the dugout. If the club tries to content in 2025, fans would get behind this team in a heartbeat to support Pujols in that way. If the club goes more toward a youth movement and retool, how fun would it be to watch Pujols guide a young team and help them learn to win?

The hiring would be bold, but it honestly makes too much sense in my opinion, as long as Pujols would actually want to do that. My guess is that if he's already made it known he'd like to coach, he'd surely accept a manager gig, especially since that is his long-term goal.

#3 - Trade at least one of Nolan Gorman or Ivan Herrera

Let me start by saying I don't think it is essential the Cardinals trade either Nolan Gorman or Ivan Herrera, but if they are going to get bold and shake up the roster, they are two guys who have value that would make sense to move, based on how they are currently operating.

Notice how many prefaces I gave there, but they are important. Starting with Herrera - I think he's got a bright future. I hate how the Cardinals are handling him. But if they aren't going to show confidence in Herrera as their backup catcher over Pages, they have to trade him this offseason and get something worthwhile in return.

Herrera is out of options next season, so if the club wants to send him down, they can't. It is a DFA or trade that will have to happen, and at that point, they'd either lose him for nothing or trade him for pennies on the dollar. Herrera is far too valuable for that to happen.

Again, I'd like to see Herrera over Pages next year, but if that is not what they plan on doing, use him as trade bait to improve the roster elsewhere.

For Gorman, I would be terrified of him going on to be incredible elsewhere, but at some point they've got to shake up this offensive core, right? The optimist in me says let's see how things go with new leadership for a year before letting go of some of these guys, but we've also now seen this offense disappoint in a major way for two straight seasons. Can't keep running the same guys out there unless there is a clear reason to believe they are going to improve.

Now, I don't trust the current regime's ability to monitor if that will happen or foster a situation that it could, but maybe Bloom and his guys can do that. Maybe Albert Pujols as the manager with some new coaches surrounding him can redeem the young talent?

If that is not the expectation though, then maybe you just dangle Gorman out there and see what happens. Herrera seems like the far more likely trade candidate due to the lack of options and their love for Pages, but out of the core young bats we thought would be leading the Cardinals' lineup this year, Gorman feels like the guy they've lost the most faith in.

#4 - Part ways with declining veterans like Miles Mikolas, Steven Matz, and Paul Goldschmidt

I think we can all get behind these - let's cut some of the deadweight off the roster already.

Paul Goldschmidt has been better in the second half, but it's probably best for both sides that he finds a new home this offseason and the Cardinals save a pretty penny on his deal. Goldschmidt would be great in a platoon role against LHP for a cheap deal, but I bet he can find better offers than that from other clubs. And frankly, it may just be best for the Cardinals to move on, even if there's theoretically a spot for him.

Steven Matz isn't someone they have to trade either, but they do need to explore it and see what kinds of options are out there. They cannot trust Matz for the rotation anymore outside of being a depth option, but they could still extract some value from him in the bullpen if needed. Cutting him makes very little sense to me, but if they can move a chunk of his contract in a trade, go for it.

The one they just have to rip the band-aid on, no matter the cost, is Miles Mikolas. The Cardinals are a better team just by taking him off the roster at this point. There are zero reasons to bring back a guy who just cannot make competitive starts consistently at this point and is blocking young arms who would probably outperform him.

We've seen them offload bad deals before like Mike Leake or Dexter Fowler, so that would be ideal here with Mikolas. But even if a team doesn't want to take a cheap flyer on him to eat innings, I do think cutting him is much better than allowing him to throw the ball again for St. Louis next year.

The Cardinals 2025 rotation already features Sonny Gray, Erick Fedde, and Andre Pallante. Mikolas does not need to be a part of that rotation mix, and he will not provide value out of the bullpen either.

Now that the Cardinals have some young arms who could backfill innings next year, it is time the club aims their sights higher on starting pitching, which will be the last "bold" move I get into for them.

#5 - Finally invest in high-end starting pitching, whether that is in a trade or free agency

In this story, I wanted to get bold, but bold as in things that would be bold for St. Louis to do, but not too bold that it for sure would never happen. Would it be bold for them to sign Juan Soto? For sure, and I'd love it, but it's not happening.

Do you know what else feels unlikely? The Cardinals offering big money to a Corbin Burnes, Max Fried, or Blake Snell. Even adding a second sizable pitching contract for Shane Bieber or Nathan Eovaldi feels way out of character. But come on St. Louis, it's time to get uncomfortable and try to do things that will make you great.

Getting Sonny Gray last offseason was a step in the right direction, but its impact was felt far less when he was the only top-end starter they added to a rotation that was desperate for two. Well, they still need another badly, and why not go out and sign that other guy to pair with Gray?

Or, if free agency is not working out, why not go bold and try to trade for whoever the top starting pitchers are on the trade market? Garrett Crochet, Sandy Alcantara, Tarik Skubal, Logan Gilbert, Bryce Miller, Bryan Woo, or whoever else it could be. Go out and make a big swing for a starting pitcher, and this rotation goes from meh at best to a really interesting group of starters.

On top of the rest of the rotation being filled out by Fedde, Pallante, Michael McGreevy, Sem Robberse, Matthew Liberatore, Gordon Graceffo, or whoever else, there's also the potential for a Quinn Mathews or Tink Hence to rise next year and be difference makers for St. Louis. The Cardinals should not bank on that kind of production in 2025, but imagine if they actually added a second front line starter and then one of those guys comes up and is dynamic out of the gate?

Obviously that does not fix the offense, and they probably need to make an upgrade there too, but I do see multiple players in the Cardinals' lineup who can rebound or progress in a meaningful way next year. What I do not see out of this rotation is anyone, outside of prospects who we have never seen at the Major League level before, who could step up and pair with Gray at the top of the rotation.

Get bold and spend the money or make the gusty trade. It's been long overdue for this rotation.

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