May 13, 2023; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Red Sox chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom signs an autograph prior to a game against the against the St. Louis Cardinals at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images

Cardinals Playoff Window Will Likely Remain Closed In 2026

Originally posted on St. Louis Cardinals on SI
By Curt Bishop | Last updated Oct 1, 2025 4:00 PM ET

The St. Louis Cardinals fell short of the postseason after finishing the 2025 season 78-84 and falling to fourth place in the National League Central. St. Louis has missed the playoffs in three straight years. Their transition of power is officially complete, as Chaim Bloom has taken over for John Mozeliak as president of baseball operations. Now, a much needed rebuild will begin, and the Cardinals will focus on the future.

This may include them trading some key players such as Sonny Gray, Nolan Arenado, and possibly even Brendan Donovan. It may take a while before they contend again.

Zachary D. Rymer of Bleacher Report predicted when every team that missed the playoffs in 2025 will make their return to October baseball, and for the Cardinals, he predicted that it won't be until at least 2027.

Cardinals Predicted To Miss Postseason In 2026

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"The Cardinals did well to hang in there this year, but they were never a real threat. And now they're freshly embarked on a new direction under Chaim Bloom, who officially took over as president of baseball operations on Tuesday," Rymer wrote.

"Bloom stressed player development in his introductory press conference, which is where there's much work to be done. JJ Wetherholt is a star in the making and Liam Doyle was the club's No. 5 pick in July, but there's quite a drop-off in quality after those two in the Cardinals' list of top prospects."

The Cardinals certainly have a lot of work to do in the coming years as they try to rebuild their player development system and prepare the next wave of prospects for the Major Leagues with all necessary resources. It certainly has been a long time since St. Louis had any top prospects develop into superstars.

The last homegrown superstars were Albert Pujols and Yadier Molina, both of whom are retired. But under Bloom, the Cardinals at least seem to have a plan for how they are going to do things going forward. The team needed a new direction, and they have that with Bloom now at the helm instead of Mozeliak.

It will certainly be interesting to see how the Cardinals operate this offseason and what they will do to get themselves ready to contend again in the future. It may take a couple of years, but fans will be encouraged by Bloom's plan.

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

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