Oct 17, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Milwaukee Brewers manager Pat Murphy (49) speaks in a press conference before game four against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NLCS round for the 2025 MLB playoffs at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Cardinals Get Shockingly High Praise From Rival Manager

Originally posted on St. Louis Cardinals on SI
By Zach Pressnell | Last updated Feb 12, 2026 7:27 PM ET

The St. Louis Cardinals have come under a lot of fire this offseason, as they've completely blown up their roster in pursuit of an aggressive rebuild. The Cardinals have opted to trade away players like Brendan Donovan, Sonny Gray, Willson Contreras, and Nolan Arenado in favor or a slew of top prospects.

But the fanbase has seemingly grown a bit restless with all these trades. Analysts are picking the Cardinals to finish at the bottom of the National League Central while some are going as far as to predict the Cardinals will be one of the worst teams in the league.

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But Milwaukee Brewers manager Pat Murphy isn't ready to say the Cardinals are a bad team. In fact, he shared a lot of praise for the Cardinals, their young stars, and their up-and-coming farm system.

Brewers manager Pat Murphy shares praise for Cardinals

Rich Storry-Imagn Images

"I mean, the Central was great last year and proved to be with three teams making the playoffs. And all those teams improved," Murphy said when talking about the Cardinals and the NL Central. "The Pirates improved. I know the Cardinals are selling off players but they still have great young players and great young pitching.

"They have a great farm system. I know that because I watch those guys play and I respect everybody in the division. I know a lot of teams have made some big, impact acquisitions, and I respect that. We have to stop worrying about what other people do and we've got to worry just about ourselves and what we're doing and how we're going to play the game."

Cardinals fans should be trusting the process. The team hasn't been able to win a World Series as it was constructed over the last few years. Rather than chasing their losses, the team has opted to completely reset.

With prospects like JJ Wetherholt and Liam Doyle in their farm system, there's a lot to be excited about. Wetherholt is one of baseball's best prospects and he could be in St. Louis as early as opening day.

Either way, Murphy's praise holds a lot of weight. He's a respected mind within the game of baseball.

This article first appeared on St. Louis Cardinals on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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