Chaim Bloom has made his first move as he begins to take on more responsibility ahead of taking over as the president of baseball operations for the St. Louis Cardinals after the 2025 season for John Mozeliak. That move: hiring a new assistant general manager.

Former Cleveland Guardians director of player development Rob Cerfolio will become the new Cardinals assistant general manager with a focus on player development and performance, the team announced on Tuesday.

“We are thrilled to welcome Rob and his family to the Cardinals,” Mozeliak said in the announcement. “His beliefs on player development and performance are aligned with where we want to go, and he’s been a key leader in an organization whose methods and systems have stayed at the forefront of the industry while still putting people first.”

Cerfolio, 32, held a variety of roles over the last nine years with the Guardians, including assistant player development and director of player development. During Cerfolio's tenure with the Guardians, they were able to be one of the most successful teams in Major League Baseball due to their focus on internal player development despite having one of the lowest free agency budgets.

If Cerfolio is able to help bring some of what he practiced in Cleveland to St. Louis, then this is a great move to help get the Cardinals back on track with Bloom at the helm going forward.

What is the St. Louis Cardinals' plan is going forward?

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The Cardinals were one of the more disappointing teams in baseball during the 2024 season. Despite featuring established veteran stars like third baseman Nolan Arenado and first baseman Paul Goldschmidt, they finished with an 83-79 record and missed the postseason for the second-straight season.

However, changes are coming. Mozeliak, the longtime president of baseball operations, will step down after the 2025 season to allow Bloom, who is currently his advisor, to take his place. The hope is that Bloom, who had previously held senior roles with the Boston Red Sox and Tampa Bay Rays, can reinvigorate the front office and help the Cardinals get back to the top of the National League Central.

Hiring Cerfolio is a great first step, and appears to be in line with Bloom's general analytical-based philosophy of focusing on internal development instead of costly long-term free agency contracts.

Times are changing in St. Louis. This is just Bloom's first move, but it could be an indication of the direction that the Cardinals are heading in.