We called the playbook, and it's being executed exactly as we thought.
On Oct. 10, 2025, just after the conclusion of a regular season in which the St. Louis Cardinals finished fourth in the National League Central, we wrote a story about the impending offseason for the Cardinals - and the playbook it would follow.
See, I covered new Cardinals front office executive during his tenure with the Boston Red Sox, so I felt like I had a grip on how things were going to go this winter. And so far? I've been proven exactly right.
Let's revisit what we said then - and how it's looking now, exactly three months later.
Point 1: Bloom will look to trade high-priced veterans
Nolan Arenado and Sonny Gray have no-trade clauses and could complicate matters, but they've both indicated they'd be willing to re-evaluate their statuses. William Contreras could also be dealt. Trading established players is the quickest way to acquire young talent, and Bloom won't be afraid to do it.
In Boston, Bloom dealt away Mookie Betts and David Price nearly right after he took the job. He also moved on from Xander Bogaerts before the 2023 season, showing he isn't shy about ruffling some fan feathers and allegiances.
And now? Gray and Contreras have already been dealt in separate deals to the Red Sox, ironically. Arenado will be moved at some point this offseason, and Bloom is also looking to move Brendan Donovan, which will help restock the farm system even further. Though he isn't a "high-priced veteran," moving him will certainly ruffle some fan feathers, as he's a well-liked and popular player.
Point 2: He will also include money to facilitate deals
Bloom isn't going to just straight salary dump players if he can avoid it. He wants to gain prospect capital in return, and he wants to get as much of it as possible. If a team will give up better players in order to get the Cardinals to take on more money, Bloom will do it. It's been indicated by Katie Woo of The Athletic that ownership is willing to do that as well.
And now? Ding ding ding. Bloom sent money to Boston in the deals for both Contreras and Gray, with the hope that the money sent allowed him to gain a better return. Two of the Cardinals' Top-10 prospects (via MLB Pipeline), were acquired in these trades. They are Brandon Clarke (No. 7) and Yhoiker Fajardo (No. 9).
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Point 3: He'll sign bargain basement options
Bloom is not going to just punt the season. He recognizes that the Cardinals fanbase deserves a chance to see a representative product, and he will provide that, even if he doesn't swim in the deep end of free agency.
In Boston, he signed the likes of Martin Perez and Garrett Richards to the starting rotation. They brought in Kevin Pillar in the outfield and traded for Hunter Renfroe. He will look to buy-low on players, and if they hit, it will make the team better - and could become a trade avenue to more prospect capital.
It should be noted that the 2021 Red Sox got to the ALCS, so the plan can work.
And now? Pretty much spot on here too. The Cardinals have signed exactly two free agents this offseason: Right-handed pitcher Dustin May and righty reliever Ryne Stanek. Both are veteran players looking for bounce back seasons. They provide some upside to the team's rotation and bullpen, and also provide possible trade value at the deadline.
May was signed to a one-year deal and Stanek's deal is expected to be for one year as well.
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