Apr 21, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; A St. Louis Cardinals hat and glove in the dugout against the Atlanta Braves in the first inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Cardinals Rebuild Is Long Overdue, and It Shows

Originally posted on St. Louis Cardinals on SI
By Curt Bishop | Last updated Jan 18, 2026 3:00 PM ET

The St. Louis Cardinals are finally rebuilding after missing the postseason three straight years. They have finished under .500 in two of the last three years and have not been the same team since their magical 2022 season.

Things went south in 2023 when they went 71-91 and finished in last place in the National League Central. A similar finish might take place in 2026 after Chaim Bloom traded away Sonny Gray, Willson Contreras and Nolan Arenado.

However, while it's good that the Cardinals are finally embracing their rebuild, it should have begun long ago, ideally after the disaster that was the 2023 season.

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Cardinals Rebuild Should Be Years Along

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One of the obvious reasons it should have begun after 2023 was that at the time, both Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado had a lot of trade value. The Cardinals explored moving Arenado at the 2023 deadline when the Los Angeles Dodgers showed interest.

If traded then instead of 2026, he could have brought back a lot of strong pitching prospects from the Dodgers, but John Mozeliak chose to hold onto him. Goldschmidt was also coming off his MVP season, so his value was also quite high.

Now, the Cardinals wouldn't have signed Sonny Gray if they had begun their rebuild immediately, but they also wouldn't have had to dish out a high-dollar contract. That was part of the reason a rebuild needed to happen. They had dished out a lot of high-dollar contracts that just didn't pan out.

It's also important to note that the Cardinals brought in Chaim Bloom after 2023. It didn't take long for him to realize how far behind the Cardinals were as far as player development was concerned. Though Mozeliak had been extended through the 2025 season, that would have been the proper time to make a change.

The Cardinals have not won a playoff game since 2020 or a playoff series since 2019. Had Bloom been put in charge and led the way on a rebuild sooner, the Cardinals could have gotten a lot more value for some of their veterans, and they could already be closer to contention.

Ultimately, it's better late than never, but it would have been smart for St. Louis to try and get a head start on their rebuild sooner.

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

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