Cardinals’ Front Office Risks Further Backlash With Potential Trade Deadline Approach
By Scott Plaza | April 29, 2025
The St. Louis Cardinals are navigating a turbulent 2025 season, with fans growing increasingly restless amid poor performances and lackluster results. After initially pledging a rebuild—later rebranded as a “transition”—the front office has left both the major and minor league rosters stuck in an uncomfortable state of limbo.
Manager Oli Marmol has expressed his frustration publicly, especially with the bullpen’s struggles, implicitly criticizing the front office’s inaction in addressing urgent roster needs. Meanwhile, an early surge under new hitting coach Brant Brown has fizzled out, and the offense is now struggling. The rotation is a patchwork of aging contact pitchers, a reliever turned starter, and a former top prospect clinging to relevance after a questionable trade. Even their sixth starter isn’t a promising young arm, but rather a 33-year-old veteran on a short-term deal.
The offseason wasn’t much better, marred by the mishandling of a franchise icon and broken promises regarding opportunities for rising players. Despite boasting one of the best home records in baseball, the team has been dismal on the road, offering little for fans to get excited about.
One faint silver lining for fans has been the knowledge that this is the final season of John Mozeliak’s leadership. Come season’s end, Chaim Bloom, formerly of the Boston Red Sox, will take over and is expected to bring a modernized approach and a focus on rebuilding the farm system.
Could the Cardinals Actually Be Buyers?
However, Mozeliak may not be done making noise. According to Cardinals beat writer Katie Woo, if the team manages to hover near playoff contention by July, Mozeliak might choose to add players at the trade deadline rather than selling them off—despite glaring roster holes and limited trade assets. That news sent a ripple through the fanbase when Woo floated the possibility on Foul Territory this week.
“If the Cardinals are in it come July, I can see John Mozeliak adding incrementally,” Woo said.
Such a strategy would be a gamble, especially for a club currently projected to finish with fewer than 75 wins and facing the prospect of missing the playoffs for a third straight year. With minimal big-league depth and a reluctance to deal top prospects, any additions would likely be marginal at best.
Conflict at the Top?
An even more complicated factor: Bloom is expected to have influence over long-term decisions, including deadline moves and potential contract extensions. While Bloom may want to begin his roster overhaul immediately, Mozeliak could aim for one last postseason push to preserve his legacy. Standing pat or making short-term additions could ultimately delay the retooling timeline and further frustrate an already disillusioned fanbase.
The situation at Busch Stadium reflects that discontent. Attendance is noticeably down, with empty seats replacing what was once a consistently sold-out crowd. A strong playoff push might bring fans back—but another failed bid, especially if fueled by short-sighted decisions like the Tommy Edman-for-Erick Fedde trade, could worsen the franchise’s outlook heading into a critical transition of power.
How the Cardinals navigate this trade deadline—whether they buy, sell, or stay passive—could define not only the remainder of this season but the direction of the club for years to come.
