St. Louis Cardinals should approach the 2025 trade deadline using this strategy

2025 approach

By combining the deadline approach from 2023 and 2024, the Cardinals can use two different strategies that become a win/win scenario for the front office and for fans. The organization can move on from veteran players who are not going to be a part of the future core, and can in return receive young cost-prospects who will develop and become contributors to the next core. Fans can also expect that the players moved will bring back supplemental pieces for the current team that can keep pushing the win column forward heading into October.

Neither strategy will be franchise-altering moves in either direction. But it is momentum towards improving both facets that still allows the current roster to be provided playing time and prove themselves in the platform season. Waiving the white flag is never an ideal situation for any team, and the Cardinals learned the negative outcomes from this after 2023. Remaining competitive in 2025 while also aiming towards improving the future can be achievable with the current assets on the roster. With the theme being to let the young guys play, there might not be much activity from the Cardinals at the deadline. But Mozeliak is encouraged by the recent team success to put himself in a tough spot to make some decisions. The organization wants this, fans want this, and any baseball fan wants the historic franchise to return to its normal identity.

Given this takes much work to accomplish, will it be mostly John Mozeliak making the decisions? In his final season as President of Baseball Operations, it has been indicated that he is fully in charge of baseball decisions for the 2025 season. But any moves that impact the future of the franchise will need some sort of handling from Chaim Bloom, as it will be his roster to work with going forward. The dynamic between the present and the future will be interesting to see if the Cardinals remain competitive heading into the trade deadline. It could become a very creative working space between the two executives that the team is not familiar with. It could also become a very disgruntled situation where the two become frustrated with each other over processes and decisions made. Very little is known about the current working dynamic between the two, but this point in the season will be the true test between their ideologies.

Either way, standing idle in this current market would be foolish from a baseball operations perspective. If they decide to go the 2023 route, they can accomplish building towards the future with Chaim Bloom. If they decide to go the 2024 route, they can accomplish winning in 2025 with John Mozeliak. Or they can combine both to overall improve the current health of the organization.