Does Chaim Bloom's hiring represent a changing of the guard in St. Louis?

On January 8th, the St. Louis Cardinals made the announcement that former Boston Red Sox executive Chaim Bloom will be a special advisor to the team's President of Baseball Operations, John Mozeliak, in 2024. Bloom represents the third special advisor announced this offseason, as that's the role Yadier Molina was brought in on and Joe McEwing was promoted to from bench coach after Daniel Descalso's hiring in November.

Chaim Bloom has served as the Director of Baseball Operations and Vice President of the Tampa Bay Rays in addition to the Head of Baseball Operations for the Boston Red Sox from 2019 until 2023. Bloom was tasked with reducing payroll while maintaining a competitive team during his time in Boston, thus leading to the trade of star Mookie Betts. He also had to work around a plethora of injuries to key players such as Chris Sale and Trevor Story, while maneuvering the many challenges that were presented in the bizarre 2020 season.

Bloom's long resume screams baseball executive. The Red Sox's record under his leadership was 267-262, but he is primarily known for his ability to create a system in which pitchers are able to develop. Boston's farm system is frequently ranked in the top 10 in baseball, and Bloom was paramount in the Rays' ability to continually churn out talented, young pitchers.

John Mozeliak and Michael Girsch's contracts are up after the 2025 season. That gives them two remaining years in their current leadership positions. Girsch's calling card is his analytical approach to the game. What he implemented in St. Louis in regard to standardizing the monetary value of all players is now used across baseball.

Another high-end executive for the Cardinals is the Scouting Director and Assistant General Manager, Randy Flores. Flores has been excellent at drafting and developing players such as Lars Nootbaar, Tommy Edman, Brendan Donovan, Jordan Walker, Masyn Winn, and Tink Hence, among others.

We may be looking at the inception of the changing of the guard in St. Louis. Randy Flores has had his name tossed around for a couple of years now as a potential future general manager in baseball, and Chaim Bloom won't be forty-one until late February. These young, accomplished, bright stewards of the sport could be poached once again at any point.

Mozeliak has been an executive in St. Louis since 2007; in that time, he has witnessed multiple pennant-winning teams, a World Series Championship, and more than a decade of success with a top-four winning percentage in all of baseball. He has led St. Louis to many successful campaigns, but he may be souring on fans at this point.

At the moment, Bloom doesn't have a direct path to the top spot in the front office, nor does he necessarily want one according to reports. That isn't to say that things won't change in two years when both Mozeliak's and Girsch's contracts are up.

Michael Girsch and John Mozeliak could see their executive days come to an end in 2025 when their contracts are up. They have been two individuals in a long line of Cardinal Way apologists. Bringing in Chaim Bloom throws a wrinkle into the traditionalist ways of the franchise, and I wouldn't be surprised if we see a two-headed monster of Chaim Bloom and Randy Flores running the St. Louis Cardinals for the back half of the decade.