The past few seasons have gone far differently than the St. Louis Cardinals hoped, but new president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom has been brought in to reset the organization’s direction. With the club dealing veteran starter Sonny Gray to the Boston Red Sox on Wednesday, the signal is clear that a full rebuild is underway in St. Louis. The next major move could involve third baseman Nolan Arenado. ESPN reporter Buster Olney suggested on X, formerly Twitter, that if the Cardinals are unable to find a trade partner for Arenado, they might even consider cutting ties completely.
“It seems inevitable that the Cardinals will either trade or release Nolan Arenado before the start of the ’26 season; if so, Willson Contreras will be the last St. Louis player with a contract for 2027,” Olney wrote on Wednesday afternoon. “Unless he’s traded.”
A move involving Arenado now feels almost certain. Former operations chief John Mozeliak was unable to trade the veteran third baseman during his final year running the team, leaving Bloom with the responsibility of completing the transition. Arenado was pulled from what was projected to be his final home appearance before the first inning began, with manager Oli Marmol giving him a symbolic exit. As Arenado now prepares for a fresh start elsewhere, the question becomes what kind of return Bloom can secure for an aging but still respected player.
The Gray deal did not deliver a strong prospect package and carried the tone of a contract-shedding move. Although Gray is thirty six and likely welcomed the chance to leave, the decision to send him to Boston along with twenty million dollars to offset his remaining salary should have yielded more than two uncertain arms in right hander Richard Fitts and left hander Brandon Clarke.
Because Bloom did not extract a more impactful return for Gray, it is fair to wonder what he can realistically get for Arenado, for Contreras, or for versatile contributor Brendan Donovan. The Cardinals need players who can help immediately and remain long term building blocks. Even if St. Louis must absorb more money to secure better prospects for Arenado and Contreras, Bloom cannot afford to repeat the limited outcome of the Gray trade. Failing to do so could extend the Cardinals’ climb back to contention and prolong the wait for postseason baseball for their fan base.