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Coming off of consecutive seasons in which the St. Louis Cardinals have missed the playoffs, the franchise is ready to turn the keys to the rebuild over to Chaim Bloom.
Bloom, who spent the bulk of his career building and maintaining a competitive Tampa Bay Rays team despite a meager payroll, will now be tasked with turning one of the proudest franchises in the game into a contender. For now, he will focus on player development, helping the Cardinals develop their prospects into pros. Following the 2025 season, he will take on an even bigger role as President of Baseball Operations.
If Bloom is going to be able to do his job, the Cardinals need to clear some room on the active roster. That starts with Nolan Arenado. The Cardinals acquired Arenado in a trade with the Colorado Rockies prior to the 2021 season. In four years, Arenado has made three All-Star teams, won two Gold Gloves, and won a Silver Slugger. But headed into his age 34 season, now might be the time to cut him loose.
This winter, the Cardinals are expected to attempt to do just that, multiple MLB insiders have already reported.
Here's why St. Louis should do everything it can to trade Arenado this winter.
This may be the Cardinals' last chance to trade Nolan Arenado
Arenado is a former superstar who appears to be on the decline, but he still has trade value. One down year that wasn't even that bad (101 OPS+) is hardly need to sound the alarm. But the Cardinals must consider the possibility that last year was the beginning of the end for their third baseman.
If Arenado gets off to a rough start next year, what value will he really have at the trade deadline? Or next offseason?Arenado is due to make $27 million in 2026 and $15 million in 2027. That's a commitment that other teams won't want to take on unless they think he has something left in the tank.
The best time to trade Arenado may have been a year ago, but the next-best time is now.
The Cardinals want to cut payroll
St. Louis already has Paul Goldshmidt's $26 million coming off the books next year. If the Cardinals keep Arenado, they'll owe him $27 million, with the Colorado Rockies footing the bill for an additional $5 million. By cutting ties with Goldschmidt and Arenado, St. Louis could save $53 million, fulfilling the organization's goal to cut payroll but also freeing up some space to make investments geared more for the long term.
Getting rid of Arenado's contract takes on extra importance when you consider that Sonny Gray's salary is about to jump to $25 million in 2025 and $35 million in 2026.
The Cardinals also plan to shop Gray, but it may be difficult to move that contract. Gray also has a full no-trade clause, so he would have to approve of any deal.
St. Louis has young infielders to plug into the lineup
If the Cardinals are going to rebuild, it makes sense to see what they have in their young prospects. That starts with No. 4 prospect Thomas Saggese, who the team acquired in the Jordan Montgomery trade with the Texas Rangers last year.
Saggese got an 18-game cup of coffee with the Cardinals this year, not doing much of note. He hit at every level of the minor leagues, however, and can play around the infield. Saggese also excelled at the Arizona Fall League, hitting .391 with a 1.118 OPS in 18 games.
He and Masyn Winn can combine to give the Cardinals some youthful energy and a reason for fans to stay engaged even if the team isn't competing for a championship right away. As a rookie, Winn had a 3.6 fWAR season with 15 home runs and a .267 average. He was also a plus defender.
The question is whether the Cardinals are ready to build around the pieces they have or if they want to blow it all up and start over. An Arenado trade decision wouldn't determine that either way, but it seems like a necessary start for however the Cardinals are going to proceed.
