SPORTZONE27

The St. Louis Cardinals are nearing a pivotal moment as the trade deadline approaches. On the surface, they remain firmly in the National League Wild Card race. But beneath that, there’s a clear tension between two competing visions: the short-term, win-now mindset of John Mozeliak and the long-range strategy of his likely successor, Chaim Bloom.

In the offseason, the Cardinals explored trading Nolan Arenado in an effort to get younger, but those talks ultimately led nowhere. While the team boasts a strong defense and several productive veterans, the offense lacks consistency, and the starting rotation is falling apart — leaving them feeling more like pretenders than contenders.

Miles Mikolas’ decline was somewhat expected, but top stars struggles have been more surprising. After an impressive 2024 season split between the KBO and MLB — including a solid stint with the White Sox — he has regressed significantly in 2025. At 32, a downturn is understandable, but this steep drop wasn’t anticipated.

The star has surrendered 17 runs over his last 10 innings, and after a rough outing against the Cubs where he lasted just 1.1 innings and gave up three runs on four walks and two hits, Cardinals manager Oli Marmol said all options were on the table regarding his role.

Now, with the team’s recent decision — whatever path that may be — it’s clear which direction the organization is leaning, and it says a lot about where they believe this team is headed.

Manager Oli Marmol didn’t mince words when addressing Erick Fedde’s recent struggles, casting doubt on the pitcher’s short-term role with the team.

“We’ll take advantage of the off day tomorrow to reassess and determine the next steps,” Marmol told reporters. “Fedde needs to find a fix for what’s happening… Continuing down this path doesn’t seem productive right now.”

Despite those comments, the Cardinals appear set to stick with Fedde for now — the veteran right-hander is still scheduled to make his next start on Saturday.

It’s starting to feel like the Cardinals are revealing their true intentions. A team genuinely committed to securing a Wild Card spot and making a postseason push wouldn’t still be trotting out Erick Fedde. There are clearly more promising alternatives — whether from within their farm system or via trade.

Instead, it seems St. Louis is hoping to rehab Fedde’s trade value over the next few weeks. A couple of solid outings could give John Mozeliak enough leverage to move him and shed his expiring contract in exchange for some return. Rather than immediately improving the roster, the Cardinals appear focused on boosting Fedde’s stock ahead of a possible trade deadline sell-off.

That approach isn’t necessarily flawed. With a relatively thin farm system, the Cardinals aren’t in position to outbid others for top-tier trade targets. And with Chaim Bloom expected to take control of baseball operations soon and pivot toward a longer-term vision, it may make more sense for St. Louis to deal veterans like Fedde, Nolan Arenado, and Ryan Helsley. After all, chasing a playoff spot — and doing so without the depth to sustain it — is part of what put the organization in this bind in the first place.