Cardinals president John Mozeliak hints at major organizational changes this offseason

As the St. Louis Cardinals continue to fall out of contention, the once-premier organization is finally showing some urgency. After the sudden announcement of Cardinals Director of Player Development Gary LaRocque, President of Baseball Operations John Mozeliak has admitted more personnel changes are coming.

In a recent interview with KMOX, Mozeliak revealed that not only are they looking at individuals from outside the organization, but they have already selected their candidates and begun the process of interviewing. When asked about the retirement of LaRocque, Mozeliak said, "I think, as great of a job Gary (LaRocque) did, I think it will be a nice opportunity to welcome some change." It's a polite way of putting it, as the Cardinals have failed to develop many promising young talents such as Dylan Carlson and Tyler O'Neill, and it looks like Jordan Walker and Nolan Gorman may be walking the same line.

It's nice to see the organization reflecting honestly on recent performance as Mozeliak candidly admitted, "We are not where we need to be and we need to get back there." It's still unknown if Mozeliak will step down as the President of Baseball Operations this offseason, but it certainly is on the table. He has stated multiple times that he intends to step into a smaller role following the 2025 season, but the recent struggles of the team could expedite that process.

With Chaim Bloom serving as a special assistant to Mozeliak and gaining familiarity with the organization, he seems like a perfect fit to take over. It's not confirmed, but he's almost certainly one of the external names the Cardinals are considering for a larger role in the organization. Even if Mo doesn't step down this offseason, Bloom could move into LaRocque's role for a season before taking over as the POBO in 2026. His influence has already been felt with the additions of Andrew Kittredge and Ryan Fernandez this offseason and is much needed for an organization that has failed at pitching development for years.

Admitting to organizational failures and confirming incoming changes is an extremely positive direction for the Cardinals organization. I recently discussed the need for change on the Dealin' the Cards Podcast, and I admittedly did not expect Mozeliak to speak so transparently about the team's plans. Hopefully, the changes come quickly and Cardinals fans can get back to the tradition of championship baseball in St. Louis.