Chaim Bloom’s arrival has brought a sweeping reset to the Cardinals’ front office, and the changes keep coming.
The latest move came Friday afternoon, when the Houston Astros poached Randy Flores from St. Louis.
Flores, the Cardinals’ former assistant general manager in charge of amateur and pro acquisition, built a reputation for his draft work and helped bring in players such as Tommy Edman, Brendan Donovan, Jordan Walker, and JJ Wetherholt. He is now set to serve as Houston’s general manager for the foreseeable future.
Flores is only the latest familiar face to exit since Bloom took over. John Mozeliak announced his departure from St.
Louis just over 13 months ago, Gary LaRocque retired after the 2024 season, and Matt Slater stepped down after the 2024 season as well. That makes four key departures tied to the front-office overhaul under Bloom.
Bloom’s rise to president of baseball operations has come with a near-total restructuring of the organization’s leadership. In 2024, he was brought in to provide an outside look at what had become a dated setup. His role in 2025 expanded to building out the front office and supporting players at every level.
The Cardinals have added a long list of new voices in that process. Anuk Karunaratne is now President of Business Operations, Joe Douglas is Director, Pro Acquisition, Jacob Buffa is Senior Director, International Scouting, Carl Kochan is Director, Performance, Larry Day is Director, Player Development, Matt Pierpont is Director, Pitching, and Rob Cerfolio is Assistant General Manager, Player Development & Performance.
Several of those jobs were created to help St. Louis catch up in the modern game.
There have been additions beyond that group, too, as Bloom has brought in new voices throughout the system that were not in place before his arrival.
Even with all the turnover, a few familiar names remain. Zach Mortimer, now Director, Amateur Acquisition, has been promoted since 2024 and has been with the Cardinals for more than a decade. Michael Girsch, listed as Vice President and Denios Advisor, and Moises Rodriguez, Assistant General Manager, are also still on staff.
The Cardinals have lost several executives to retirement or outside opportunities, but that also says something about the organization’s reputation. St.
Louis is producing people other clubs want. At the same time, the reshaping of the front office has created room for new ideas and new leadership.
On the field, the next wave is already forming with players like JJ Wetherholt, Joshua Baez, and Leo Bernal. Off the field, the front office is taking shape too, and the Cardinals’ future there is starting to look just as active.
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