Cardinals Face Uphill Battle to Rebuild Roster and Reputation Under Chaim Bloom
Chaim Bloom has officially taken the reins in St. Louis, and while his primary task is to get the Cardinals back to winning baseball, he’s also inheriting something less tangible but just as critical: a bruised reputation. The Cardinals aren’t just trying to fix a roster - they’re trying to fix how they’re perceived around the league.
For a franchise that once set the standard in the National League - a model of consistency, development, and postseason presence - the past few seasons have been a slow drift into mediocrity. The team has spent recent years clinging to Wild Card hopes, trying to stay afloat in the NL Central. That’s not the Cardinals baseball fans are used to.
Now, with Bloom at the helm, the organization is signaling a reset. This isn’t a patch job.
It’s a full-scale rebuild, with an emphasis on drafting and developing talent - a long-term vision aimed at restoring the club’s competitive edge. But as Bloom begins laying the foundation, he’s facing a harsh reality: St.
Louis isn’t the free-agent destination it once was.
That point was driven home in a very public way when Ketel Marte’s no-trade list surfaced.
According to reporting from Ken Rosenthal, Marte - the Arizona Diamondbacks’ All-Star second baseman - has five teams he won’t accept a trade to. The list includes the Athletics, Yankees, Pirates, Giants… and the Cardinals.
Now, let’s be clear: St. Louis was never a serious player in the Marte sweepstakes.
At 32, Marte doesn’t align with the Cardinals’ timeline, and there were already concerns about his availability and commitment last season - traits that tend to raise red flags for a franchise that still values clubhouse culture. But the fact that a player of Marte’s caliber proactively ruled out St.
Louis speaks volumes.
It’s not just about wins and losses anymore. It’s about perception.
Once upon a time, the Cardinals were a magnet for veteran talent. They didn’t need the glitz of a coastal market - they had tradition, stability, and a real shot at October baseball.
Players wanted in. Now?
There’s a growing sense that the Cardinals have lost that edge, and Marte’s no-trade clause is just the latest reminder.
There may be deeper layers to this, too. Marte spent several seasons as a teammate of former Cardinals prospect Zac Gallen, who was traded away in 2019.
Gallen later suggested that his departure may have stemmed from skipping winter workouts - a detail that hints at friction between the Cardinals’ expectations and how some players approach the offseason. Add to that a 2025 report that placed manager Oli Marmol in a tie for the least desirable manager to play for, and it’s not hard to see how the Cardinals’ image may have taken a hit inside clubhouses around the league.
To their credit, the Cardinals have tried to counteract that by bringing in players with local ties - guys like Lance Lynn, Phil Maton, Sonny Gray, and Kyle Gibson. These are players who understand what the Cardinals mean to the region and were likely more willing to sign on because of that connection. But if the only players you can consistently attract are the ones who grew up in Cardinals country, that’s a problem.
This is the challenge facing Bloom. It’s not just about building a roster that can win. It’s about rebuilding a brand that once stood for excellence and now feels like an afterthought on some players’ radar.
But all is not lost. If Bloom and his front office can hit on their draft picks, develop a new generation of homegrown talent, and create a clubhouse culture players want to be part of, the Cardinals can absolutely turn this around.
It won’t be immediate. It might not even be pretty.
But the blueprint is there.
St. Louis has done this before.
The organization knows how to build from within. The question now is whether they can do it again - and whether, in doing so, they can make the Cardinals a destination franchise once more.