The St Louis Cardinals beat the Milwaukee Brewers 5-1 on Sunday, improving to 76-80 on the season. While the playoffs are a far cry, the Redbirds can cross the .500 threshold with a great final week. Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak will retire at the end of the season, ending an 18-year run. He spoke with Bob Nightengale of USA Today about his decision to retire.
“I don’t fear going through (a rebuild), but I do think it’s time for a fresh voice. Mozeliak said, “I felt like where the organization was, something had to give. I felt like it started with me, and it was either really trying to do a major reset or let someone else come in and give it a shot.”
The Cardinals have now missed the postseason in three consecutive seasons, prompting the need for a rebuild. Jordan Walker and Masyn Winn had down years, leading to a lot of questions about their future. Former Red Sox GM Chaim Bloom joined the organization last year to revamp the minor leagues. He will become the President when the season ends.
The Cardinals let Paul Goldschmidt walk in the offseason and tried to trade Nolan Arenado last winter. They could continue their pursuit to trade the third baseman, but he holds the cards with a no-trade clause. The Cardinals are headed toward a rebuild, and Mozeliak thinks a new voice is key to success.
Bloom did not have success with the Red Sox, but has now taken a year to learn the Cardinals system and find prospects he likes. St Louis has a long history of building successful teams through the draft and their pipeline. Bloom will be tabbed with bringing that reputation back to the Cardinals organization after a sluggish three-year stretch.
