Chaim Bloom takes over as president
of baseball operations for the St. Louis Cardinals
[October 01, 2025]
By WARREN MAYES
ST. LOUIS (AP) — Chaim Bloom says the St. Louis Cardinals will be
sticking to their roots to get back to October baseball.
Bloom, who has been in line since last year to become the
organization's president of baseball operations, spoke to the media
Tuesday as he takes over a team that finished the season 78-84,
fourth in the NL Central and missing the playoffs for a third
consecutive season.
“The Cardinals win first and foremost with players we develop,”
Bloom said. “That operating model that has sustained this
organization for decades is still sound. But for it to develop the
results that we need, we have to be elite at acquiring and
developing baseball talent in every aspect.”
Bloom served as an advisor to the organization this season. He is
taking over for John Mozeliak, who said last year he had advocated
for brining Bloom in to get a fresh look at where the Cardinals were
at as a team.
“We’re not where we want to be,” Bloom said Tuesday. “We’re not
where we need to be. We’re not where our fans expect us to be. We
are not where we expect ourselves to be.”
St. Louis has won 11 World Series. Only the New York Yankees have
won more. Their most recent title came in 2011 in Tony La Russa’s
last season managing the club.
“Our goal is to field a team every year and compete for this
division and a World Series championship,” Bloom said. “In this
competitive business, the front of the line is always moving. We’re
not going to concede anything. We need to be focused on our ultimate
goal.”
Bloom, a 2004 graduate at Yale, spent 15 years (2005-19) with the
Tampa Bay Rays, including the final three as senior vice president
of baseball operations. He was chief baseball officer for the Boston
Red Sox from Oct. 28, 2019, through Sept. 14, 2023, when he was
fired. The Red Sox advanced to the American League Championship
Series in 2021.
[to top of second column] |
Then-Chief Baseball Officer of the Boston Red Sox Chaim Bloom talks
with a reporter before the baseball game between the Boston Red Sox
and the New York Yankees Friday, June 16, 2023, at Fenway Park in
Boston. (AP Photo/Winslow Townson, File)
Bloom said he will retain manager Oli Marmol.
“As far as our field staff, there are still some things that we need
to sort out,” Bloom said. “I expect a lot of continuity. It’s a good
group of people that really cares.”
Bloom could explore trades for Nolan Arenado, Sonny Gray, and
Willson Contreras. Those three veterans all have no-trade deals.
Arenado, 34, has two years remaining on his contract and is owed $42
million. Gray, 35, has one year left on his deal. He is owed $35
million in 2026. And Contreras, 33, has two years left on his
contract. He is owed $36.5 million and a $5 million buyout for the
2028 season.
“I don’t like to draw a line and say these guys are in and these
guys are out,” Bloom said. “The game is too hard for that.”
In the past three years, the Cardinals' farm system has failed to
produce impact players. Fans have shown their displeasure with that.
The team's attendance has dropped from 3.32 million in 2022 to 2.25
million this year.
“I understand their frustration,” CEO Bill DeWitt Jr. said. “They
love their Cardinals. They love their Cardinals winning. We’re going
to make every effort to get back to that.”
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