Sep 5, 2023; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; A detailed view of the hat and glove of St. Louis Cardinals second baseman Nolan Gorman (not pictured) before a game against the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Rival Executive Predicts Cardinals' Rebuild Won't Last Long

Originally posted on St. Louis Cardinals on SI
By Curt Bishop | Last updated Mar 20, 2026 12:00 PM ET

The St. Louis Cardinals have begun their rebuild. It is expected to take a couple of years at the minimum, so the Cardinals can likely rule out a postseason berth in 2026 and possibly even beyond.

It's going to take some time before the Cardinals are contenders again, but they at least have a plan in place for the future. That is at least something that fans can get excited about.

It remains to be seen how long this will take. The Cardinals still have a lot of work to do in order to get back to where they once were. Baltimore Orioles' president of baseball operations Mike Elias, once a Cardinals' executive, predicts that in a few short years, St. Louis will be just fine.

Orioles POBO thinks Cardinals will be fine

Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images

"I think this is going to go on the quicker side iin their case," Elias said. "The first emotion both times that I’ve been part of it is, frankly, relief. It is a very arduous process. It’s not guaranteed to work. And a lot has to go right. Winning in the major leagues is really hard, and it’s really fragile."

Indeed, the Cardinals are banking on a lot, but it's better for them to take risks and work as swiftly as possible to get this rebuild done than simply beating around the bush and hoping to sneak into the playoffs with a mediocre team.

St. Louis has finally picked a direction, and it should help start the process of revitalizing the organization and its farm system. The Cardinals have also added people from other organizations to their front office to help modernize the team and its facilities.

The approach to this rebuild is an effective one, and as long as they execute their plan well, Elias' prediction should come true. In St. Louis, constantly contending is the standard, but the Cardinals are going to have to suffer through a little bit of pain before they can get back to where they want to go.

The Cardinals' main focus will be player development, and if they can get back to developing winning players, then the future is might brighter in St. Louis than it has been in recent years.

It will be interesting to see how they execute their plan and if they can do what they need to do in order to becoming a winning organization again.

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

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