The St. Louis Cardinals’ 2025 season is officially over, thus marking the end of the John Mozeliak era and the beginning of Chaim Bloom’s regime as they embark on a long rebuild.
Translation: Many changes are coming to the Cardinals roster over the next few months.
The Cardinals finished the year with a 78-84 record, missing out on postseason baseball for the third straight year. While the club was technically alive in the Wild Card race until the middle of last week, no miracle run would have saved them from the rebuild that Bloom has been preparing for months now.
I think most fans can agree that drastic changes are much needed and actually welcomed by all. St. Louis wants to see the Cardinals become a true World Series contender again, not stuck in mediocrity with their ceiling being a fringe playoff team. It’s going to take time to get there, though, which is why a rebuild is so important.
Bloom, unlike Mozeliak, does not have personal ties to many of the players in the organization, thus making sweeping changes even easier for the new president of baseball operations. Because of this, I’ve identified 14 different Cardinals on their current 40-man roster who will not be with the organization come spring training for various reasons. Let’s dive into those!
Here are the 14 Cardinals who won’t survive Chaim Bloom’s offseason overhaul
Zack Thompson
Remember Zack Thompson? The Cardinals’ first-round pick back in 2019 has been out the entire season due to a lat injury, and with that coming on the heels of a really disappointing 2024 campaign, I don’t think we’ll be seeing him return to the Cardinals in 2026.
Thompson broke out in a big way for the Cardinals during the 2022 season as a high-leverage, left-handed reliever out of their bullpen. In 2023, Thompson mixed work between the bullpen and rotation, inspiring enough confidence in the Cardinals to tap him as their sixth starter heading into 2024. But that’s where the wheels truly fell off.
Thompson pitched to the tune of a 9.53 ERA in five appearances, two of which were starts, and saw a drop off in his velocity after losing weight that offseason. Thompson never really found his footing again down in Memphis, either, and now he’s been dealing with a significant lat issue for the last year.
The Cardinals already have a number of arms that are either on their 40-man roster or will need to be added to it this offseason that will miss most of or all of the 2026 season due to injury, so I don’t think they can afford to stash Thompson on their 40-man throughout the offseason as well.
Sonny Gray
Last offseason, Sonny Gray was given the opportunity to explore trades away from St. Louis as they shifted toward a “reset”, which turned out to be just a prequel to their eventual rebuild. Gray opted to remain with the Cardinals, reiterating that he signed with them for a reason and wanted to stick things out.
Well, after talking to Bloom recently, Gray is now open to exploring trades this offseason, being very candid about his desire to win, and that since St. Louis is not going to be doing that soon, he likely needs to land somewhere else this offseason.
It’s honestly a shame that things did not work out better with Gray as a Cardinal. When the club signed him following the 2023 season, it was an exciting move, bringing in a player who just finished runner-up in the American League Cy Young voting, but the lack of a second high-end arm to accompany him brought down the enthusiasm level. While Gray wasn’t quite what St. Louis hoped he would be over the last two seasons, he was still very effective overall.
Between 2024 and 2025, Gray made 60 starts, covering 347 innings with a 4.07 ERA. His ERA really elevated this past year (4.28), and that’s caused a lot of concern amongst Cardinals fans and really hurt the feeling around his contract.
While the ERA has not been what we hoped it would be when Gray signed in St. Louis, the almost 36-year-old had a ton of encouraging signs underneath the hood that should make him an attractive trade candidate for opposing teams. Since becoming a Cardinal, Gray ranks fifth in all of baseball in K-BB% (23%), sixth K% (28.4%) and BB% (5.4%), seventh in FIP (3.26), tenth in fWAR (7.4), and 21st in innings pitched (347), all while carrying the fifth-highest BABIP allowed (.315). All of those advanced metrics point to better success awaiting Gray, and while getting another year older may mitigate some of that, I do still think Gray will be more impactful in the traditional metrics next year.
Thomas Gauvain recently broke down different trade destinations for Gray this offseason, and whatever team lands Gray is going to be getting a big upgrade for their rotation.
Lars Nootbaar
Another player who I think fans may end up feeling like they got the short end of the stick on when he inevitably breaks out for his new team, Lars Nootbaar, feels like he’s a goner this offseason for a variety of reasons.
First, let’s talk about his performance this year and his fit on the roster. This was easily Nootbaar’s most disappointing season of his career, as he finally set a career high in games played with 135 but saw a major dip in his production in the process.
Nootbaar slashed .234/.325/.361 with 13 home runs and 48 RBI in 583 plate appearances, spending a large chunk of the beginning of the year as their leadoff man, then dropping in the order after going ice cold in the summer, and never truly regaining his footing when he came off the injured list. Nootbaar finished the year with a 96 wRC+ and 0.8 fWAR, by far the worst marks of his career thus far in full seasons.
What makes this even more frustrating is the fact that Nootbaar, for years, has shown his potential as a guy who can do a lot of damage at the plate while getting on base at a high clip, and he began the 2025 season red hot. But after another disappointing campaign, I’m not sure the Cardinals have the patience to wait Nootbaar out much longer.
The Cardinals’ outfield is far from set in stone next year, but if Willson Contreras does stick around and JJ Wetherholt is assumed to be taking an infield spot, the Cardinals already need to find playing time for Alec Burleson, Victor Scott II, Brendan Donovan, Jordan Walker, and possibly others. Ivan Herrera is supposed to be catching again next year, which does help out with that mix.
This would be selling low on Nootbaar if the Cardinals dealt him this offseason, but with two years until free agency and already being 28 years old, I think Chaim Bloom is ready to get prospects back for him. Don’t get me wrong, Nootbaar is still a valuable player, and I know contenders will make nice offers for him. But it just likely won’t match the hype he came with for so long, but it’s time to bite the bullet.
Miles Mikolas
This won’t come as a shocker to anyone, but Miles Mikolas won’t be returning to the Cardinals in 2026 under Chaim Bloom’s leadership. Now, I do want to walk you down a path I considered recently…the idea that a reunion with Mikolas could actually be in the cards…but then confirm why I believe that will not happen.
For a while now, it’s been debatable at best as to whether or not Sonny Gray would want to leave St. Louis. Now that he’s made that intention known, the Cardinals’ rotation options are getting really thin.
Of their current starters under contract, I think only Matthew Liberatore and Michael McGreevy should be seen as locks for the rotation. Kyle Leahy, Andre Pallante, and Quinn Mathews will definitely be in the mix as well, but that’s only six guys that I can say with confidence, and that last trio includes a player who has never been a big league starter, a guy coming off a career-worst season, and a prospect who may or may not be ready.
Unfortunately for the Cardinals, at least to begin 2026, they won’t have much starting pitching depth at the Triple-A level. Tekoah Roby, Cooper Hjerpe, and Sem Robberse all likely won’t be available due to recovery from season-ending injuries. Tink Hence just came off another injury-riddled campaign, and while names like Liam Doyle, Ixan Henderson, and Brycen Matuz could be options at some point next year, I highly doubt they’d be ready for their shot in early 2026.
So…where are some of those innings coming from then? Could “The Lizard King” be brought back on a cheap contract to be the staff veteran that they can cut ties with if young arms are ready to take his spot?
Eh, maybe, but I have a feeling Bloom would rather target some project arms with upside instead.
The Cardinals are not trying to win next year, so while Mikolas fits the bill of someone who could just make starts for them and eat innings, I think Bloom is wise enough to go find arms who they could get more production out of than Mikolas and potentially flip them at the trade deadline.
I won’t lie to you, even as I write them, I can see the world where the Cardinals bring back Mikolas on that cheap deal while also targeting a reclamation project arm, because honestly, they likely need multiple veteran arms to get them through next year. But for now, let’s say Mikolas is done with the Cardinals.
Yohel Pozo
Arguably the biggest surprise of the 2025 season and most heartwarming story, Yohel Pozo provided Cardinals fans with a ton of fun moments during this past season, but the magic eventually wore off, and his success at the plate faded big time.
On the year, Pozo finished with a .236/.267/.382 slash line with five home runs and 19 RBI in 165 plate appearances for St. Louis. He played in 66 games, but as the year went on, his wRC+ dipped further and further, and he ended with an 80 wRC+ and 0.3 fWAR.
I would not be surprised at all to see Pozo retained as organizational depth if he clears waivers and doesn’t get a shot with another team, but when it comes to the Cardinals’ 40-man roster this year, I don’t see the club carrying him on it, at least coming out of the winter. With Ivan Herrera resuming catching duties in 2026 and Pedro Pages likely remaining for at least another year, there’s not really room for Pozo on the Major League roster. Pair that with Jimmy Crooks making his debut this year and Leonardo Bernal needing to be added to the 40-man roster to avoid the Rule 5 draft, and I just don’t see the Cardinals carrying Bernal as a fifth catcher on the 40-man.
A couple of things could change that, though. If the Cardinals shopped someone like Crooks or Pages this offseason, then it would make sense to hold onto Pozo so Bernal isn’t put in a position to be rushed next year. Or again, other organizations could pass on Pozo, so he may come back to the Cardinals as depth, like he was to begin 2025.
But I really do hope for Pozo’s sake that another organization wants to give him a chance. I doubt someone trades for him, but when the Cardinals eventually designate him for an assignment, it would be fun to see him get another shot at a big league roster somewhere else. It would take multiple injuries for Pozo even to have a part-time role in St. Louis next year, and if he really wants to earn a free agent contract or arbitration at some point, he needs to play.
Nolan Arenado
If Nolan Arenado hadn’t shocked both John Mozeliak and the Houston Astros organization by vetoing a trade to the long-time American League powerhouse last offseason, his name wouldn’t even be on this list. But with Arenado once again seeking a trade this offseason, he’s been open with the media about how he can’t be as picky this time around.
Arenado knows that he needs to expand the list of teams he is willing to go to this offseason. Last winter, that list included the Los Angeles Dodgers, Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees, San Diego Padres, and the aforementioned Houston Astros, but the Kyle Tucker trade scared Arenado off from committing to Houston back in December, and the Red Sox chose to sign Alex Bregman rather than finalize a deal with the Cardinals for Arenado.
The Red Sox could be back on the board this offseason with Bregman likely to become a free agent again, and other teams from that original list could become suitors again. If not, there should be plenty of other teams that Arenado could see as a potential contender or even just spots that would be a good geographical fit for his family.
Unfortunately for Arenado and the Cardinals, the future Hall of Famer just put up a terrible year by his standards and what he’s being paid, slashing .237/.289/.377 with 12 home runs and 52 RBI in 107 games played for St. Louis, resulting in an 84 wRC+ and 0.8 fWAR. Mozeliak has stated multiple times that he was happy with the kind of deal they were able to agree to with Houston last offseason, but now the club is going to have to eat a lot more money and expect virtually nothing in return. This is a salary dump situation.
How much of Arenado’s remaining salary the Cardinals will have to eat is unknown. Arenado is due $27 million in 2026, but the Rockies are kicking in $5 million to help pay that number down, and $15 million in 2027. According to FanGraphs’ Dollars stat, Arenado was worth just $6.5 million in 2025…so not exactly a good sign for the Cardinals saving much money here. I would guess that the Cardinals will have to get Arenado’s contract down to around $10 million per year or under to get a deal done, so they are looking at eating at least $17 million of the remaining $17 million they owe him…and it’s likely going to be more than that.
Arenado’s time in St. Louis is coming to a close, and that’s what is best for both sides.
Michael Siani
Oh hey! Did you forget about Michael Siani as well? The Cardinals primary center fielder in 2024 was mostly regelegated to Memphis in 2025, appearing in just 19 games and getting 19 plate appearances for St. Louis this year.
In 2024, Siani played in 124 games for the Cardinals, slashing .228/.285/.285 with two home runs and 20 RBI to go along with 20 stolen bases in 334 plate appearances. While Sinai’s 64 wRC+ was brutal to watch, his 16 outs above average in the outfield made him one of the best defenders in all of baseball. Marmol continued to run Siani out there each day, but that came to an end in 2025.
Siani was actually set to be the Cardinals’ Opening Day center fielder this year before an awful spring training and a great showing in camp from Victor Scott II relegated Siani to a reserve role, and then quickly down to Memphis. Unfortunately, Siani didn’t really do himself any favors in Memphis this year, slashing .209/.307/.329 with eight home runs and 41 RBI to go along with 28 stolen bases in 101 games. His 71 wRC+ at the Triple-A level was not going to earn him another chance in St. Louis, no matter how much Scott was scuffling in the second half.
On top of that, the Cardinals seem to love Nathan Church, and his rise from Double-A this year all the way up to St. Louis is going to make it very difficult for Siani to have a path with the Cardinals in 2026. Sure, he could be their Triple-A center field depth next year, but my guess is that Bloom won’t let Siani hold a 40-man roster spot over other internal or external options who could take that. Church wasn’t all that impressive in his brief debut for St. Louis, but I think he’ll be positioned for more opportunities than Siani would be next year.
Like Pozo, I wouldn’t be surprised to see the Cardinals bring Siani back as organizational depth that isn’t on their 40-man roster if other teams don’t claim him, but for now, I think it’s safe to say he won’t be a Cardinal next year.
Willson Contreras
Now here is where I am taking a pretty big risk in saying that someone won’t survive Bloom’s offseason makeover for the Cardinals’ roster. Willson Contreras holds a no-trade clause and has very clearly stated his desire to remain with the St. Louis Cardinals…but he did leave open the door to a trade if it makes sense for both him and the Cardinals.
For Bloom, trading Contreras away from St. Louis makes sense for multiple reasons. First, it’s an opportunity to dump even more salary, something the Cardinals are surely looking to do this offseason. Contreras’ deal, unlike Gray’s and especially Arenado’s, is actually below market value by a little bit, but it’s still a pretty penny that I’m sure the Cardinals will prioritize offloading as much of it as possible in a deal. But, they could still get an interesting piece or two in return.
Along with offloading money and gaining prospect capital, moving Contreras frees up another lineup spot for a young player. Alec Burleson can take over at the position full-time, and both Nolan Gorman and Brendan Donovan have a bit of experience there as well. Assuming Burleson takes that spot, it makes fitting Gorman, Jordan Walker, and other Cardinals who really don’t have a lineup spot locked up right now a lot easier.
For Contreras, he loves St. Louis and playing for the Cardinals, so in order to leave, he’s going to have to be lured to an organization that he thinks he would enjoy playing for and give him a much better chance to compete for a World Series. I can think of multiple teams that fit that bill, and I’ll cover them on the site in the near future.
So, while Contreras has stated he would like to stay, and I could easily see that happening, I am going to predict that as the offseason goes on, Contreras’ itch to play for a contender will grow, and a team is going to swoop in and capture his attention in a way that makes saying yes to a deal a lot easier. Clearly, the Cardinals think it is a good idea to move Contreras, or else they wouldn’t plan on exploring trades still, even in light of his request to stay. We’ll see if he ends up being open to a move, but I think a team will convince him to leave St. Louis.
John King
Acquired by the Cardinals as the “throw-in” reliever in the Jordan Montgomery/Chris Stratton trade, I honestly didn’t think at the time that King would be on the roster past the conclusion of the 2023 season, but he’s provided the Cardinals with two and a half seasons of production in their bullpen.
Since coming over to St. Louis, King has appeared in 126 games for the Cardinals, posting a 3.30 ERA in 125.1 innings of work. For a guy that we had virtually no expectations for and has made barely any money during those years, that’s a great outcome for the Cardinals.
Now, the underlying numbers will tell you he’s probably overachieved, as King has a 4.17 FIP over that stretch and 1.39 WHIP while striking out just 13.7% of the batters he faced. King had a 1.45 ERA in 2023 for St. Louis and a 2.85 ERA in 2024, but the bubble burst this year when his ERA rose to 4.63 with a 4.87 FIP and -0.4 fWAR.
While most of the attention on the Cardinals’ cost-cutting has been centered on Arenado, Gray, and Contreras, King will be entering his second year of arbitration, and after making $1.61 million in 2025, I don’t think the Cardinals will be inclined to give him a raise in 2026.
King feels like a perfect non-tender candidate to me, and while he’ll find another job somewhere else, I don’t think he presents the Cardinals with much upside moving forward. He’s 31 years old, a groundball specialist with literally no swing and miss, is getting more expensive, and is coming off the worst year of his career.
With all of that being said, the Cardinals should have no complaints about King’s tenure with them. He provided them with helpful innings all three years, and until 2025, he was actually a really important member of their bullpen. The Cardinals lacked bullpen depth most of his tenure, and so King stepping up the way he did meant a lot for the Cardinals’ chances of contention.
Matt Koperniak
Every year, there’s a minor leaguer and fringe prospect who impresses during spring training, and Cardinals fans clamor for that player to make the Opening Day roster. Sometimes that player ends up shining in a big way, no matter what decision the Cardinals make, and other times their success in camp proves to be fool’s gold.
In the case of Matt Koperniak in 2025, his hot spring training did not translate to his season with Memphis in the slightest.
While Koperniak finished the year strong, his overall year with the Memphis Redbirds was a major disappointment. The 27-year-old slashed .246/.317/.382 with 14 home runs and 65 RBI in 121 games, posting an 84 wRC+ over the course of his 536 plate appearances.
Now, Koperniak’s hype didn’t come just from his production in camp. In 2025, his first full season at Triple-A, he slashed .309/.370/.512 with 20 home runs and 73 RBI, which was good for a 127 wRC+ in 567 plate appearances. He earned a spot on the 40-man roster because of that, and had he not fallen apart at Memphis for most of the year, I bet he would have gotten a shot with St. Louis at some point this year.
But here’s the thing: the fact that Koperniak didn’t get a single look this year tells me a lot about how they feel about him. Sure, they may not have wanted to mess up his flow as he was just finally getting going in Memphis, but I really feel like Chaim Bloom would have wanted to see him if he had any inclination to keep him next year.
Now, obviously, Koperniak could be held onto as a depth piece, someone they are quick to designate for an assignment if needed, but I really am anticipating a lot of action this offseason, and so Koperniak could be a casualty of that. Joshua Baez is an outfielder who needs to be added to the 40-man this offseason, which tells me there may be an outfielder or two or three they decide to cut bait with. The Cardinals may also acquire some prospects via trade who need to be added to the 40-man roster, which could play a role as well.
Roddery Munoz and Jorge Alcala
Two right-handed relievers who are currently on the Cardinals’ 40-man roster, Roddery Munoz and Jorge Alcala could be kept around as depth arms, but since the Cardinals are going to have to carry multiple injured arms on their 40-man roster this offseason, I’m guessing Bloom will need to cut bait with both of them during the winter to make the most of their roster prior to the season.
Munoz was an offseason pick-up by the Cardinals, someone who made starts for the Miami Marlins in 2024 and had interesting stuff that the Cardinals hoped would play well in their bullpen, or even be a swing man option for them if needed. Instead, Munoz was terrible.
In nine games for the club this year, Munoz posted an 8.18 ERA in 11 innings of work, and while he was able to strike out 11.45 batters per nine innings, his 7.36 BB/9 was unplayable. He also received the benefit of a .208 BABIP against him, so you could argue that things should have been even worse. Munoz is now a -1.9 fWAR player for his career, so unless Bloom really sees something in him, I’m guessing the 25-year-old isn’t sticking on the 40-man roster.
Alcala was acquired on waivers from Boston in August, but he didn’t arrive to the Red Sox until 2025, so he doesn’t have connections to Bloom. Prior to 2025, Alcala had posted a few really solid seasons in 2020, 2021, and 2024 for the Twins, as well as pitching well for the Red Sox in 16.1 innings of work prior to being designated for an assignment. In his 14.1 innings with St. Louis, though, Alcala posted a 5.02 ERA and 6.14 FIP, and his 9.42 K/9 was pretty good but far from impressive.
At 30 years old, entering another year of arbitration, and already making $1.5 million, I do not foresee the Cardinals giving him a raise this offseason, so he seems like a clear candidate to be non-tendered early in the offseason. With how bad the Cardinals’ pitching has been over the last few years, I’m sure Bloom will want to bring in as many of his own arms as he can.
Nick Raquet and Anthony Veneziano
Similar to Roddery Munoz and Jorge Alcala, Nick Raquet and Anthony Veneziano represent two bullpen arms who I really don’t see much of a future with the Cardinals.
As I briefly mentioned earlier, the Cardinals have pitching prospects they need to protect this offseason from the Rule 5 draft, as well as arms on their 40-man roster who are injured but still take up space during the offseason since there is no injured list to place them on until the 2026 season starts.
Tekoah Roby and Sem Robberse are both already on the 40-man and are rehabbing from significant injuries, while Tink Hence battled injuries again in 2025 and may not be ready to pitch at the Major League level for most of, if not all of, 2026. Then, if the Cardinals want to add Cooper Hjerpe to their 40-man roster (which they should), he also will be out for a lot of the 2026 season. Brycen Mautz, who had an excellent season for Springfield this year, also needs to be added to the 40-man roster for Rule 5 protection, and Max Rajcic may be worth adding too.
Anyways, all of those arms needing to hold 40-man roster spots means they need to free up spaces elsewhere, and both Raquet and Veneziano seem like clear candidates to non-tender and create that space.
Raquet, 29, was incredible for Springfield this year, posting a 0.77 ERA, but was terrible at run prevention with the Memphis Redbirds, posting a 5.19 ERA. He pitched in two games for the Cardinals this year, covering two innings of work without allowing a single run. I don’t think he’ll be back.
Veneziano, who the Cardinals claimed off waivers in August from the Marlins, is 28 years old and has not been able to land in a big league bullpen since debuting in 2023. He boasts a 3.98 career ERA in 40.2 big league innings, but I can’t say he was all that impressive in his two games and four innings of work with St. Louis this year. His 4.50 ERA helped get the job done, but I’m guessing he’s gone this offseason.
I may end up being wrong on a few of these predictions as the offseason goes on, but I feel pretty confident in most of them. Expect Chaim Bloom to make a lot of moves, decluttering the organization this offseason as he moves the Cardinals closer and closer to his vision.
