The St. Louis Cardinals sit at 47–42, trailing the division-leading Chicago Cubs by 6.5 games and sitting just one game behind the Padres for the final NL Wild Card slot. How the team performs over the next three weeks will be crucial in shaping its strategy heading into the trade deadline.
For years, fans have pleaded with the organization to choose a clear direction. The roster is filled with high-priced veterans who haven’t accomplished much together, and the farm system lags behind most of the league. After a disappointing offseason that failed to address these issues, many supporters were left frustrated by the lack of substantial change from president of baseball operations John Mozeliak.
Now, the Cardinals find themselves in an awkward middle ground — still trying to compete while lacking the foundation to build long-term success. Mozeliak is aware the current roster isn’t built for sustained contention, but with his retirement looming, he’s largely focused on the short term. That dynamic sets the stage for potential tension in the front office as the trade deadline approaches.
Chaim Bloom, who will take over as team president after Mozeliak steps down, has been quietly working behind the scenes this season. Known for his emphasis on player development and long-term planning, Bloom has likely been strategizing how to rebuild the farm system and shape the team’s future.
However, Mozeliak and Bloom are not known to share the same philosophy. Mozeliak has described the decision-making process with Bloom as a “collaboration,” though the idea of a sitting executive and his confirmed successor sharing authority is highly unusual — especially when their approaches to roster building have historically diverged.
Speaking to The St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Mozeliak hinted that the final days leading up to the deadline could test that collaboration: “I hope we have really hard decisions to make come July 31 because that means we’re playing well.”
So far, there have been no signs of friction between the two, but the looming trade deadline — and tight financial constraints — will test that dynamic. If the Cardinals remain on the fringe of playoff contention, it could come down to a tug-of-war between Mozeliak’s urge to go all-in and Bloom’s commitment to the long game.
Who ultimately has the louder voice in those conversations may signal not just how the Cardinals approach this year’s deadline, but how they intend to build — or rebuild — going forward.