The St. Louis Cardinals kicked off their quick four-game homestand Monday evening with just 31 games remaining on the regular-season docket.

The final month of the 2025 season will be about prepping for 2026, as discussed in Part 1 of our subscriber mailbag. But to really dive into next season, we must address the obvious change looming this offseason.

For the first time in nearly two decades, the Cardinals will have a new front office. Chaim Bloom will take over as president of baseball operations shortly after the end of the season. A new era brings plenty of questions, and that’s exactly what Part 2 of this mailbag will focus on.

Let’s get to it.

Note: Submitted questions have been edited for clarity and length.

What changes have you noticed about player development throughout the organization since Chaim Bloom and Rob Cerfolio have been involved? — Logan H.

Can you tell us what Bloom has been able to accomplish in the minor-league system this year? — Anonymous U. 

The easiest change to note is the number of staff additions. Increasing the number of minor-league coordinators was something identified early by Cerfolio when he was hired as assistant general manager. The combination of the departments for player development and player performance into a cohesive unit has also been a priority. In past seasons, the two were often unintentionally siloed, with both departments focused on their own area. Under Cerfolio’s lead, there has been a firm focus on all levels of the minor leagues on collaboration.

The boring but true answer: It will take multiple years for fans to truly see the changes in the minor-league system reflect at the major-league level. But that doesn’t mean expansive change isn’t taking place. The Cardinals’ spring training complex is (at long last) undergoing a complete renovation and is expected to see major facility upgrades. The organization’s minor-league affiliates are receiving advanced technology (such as Hawk-Eye — a computer vision system used to track ball flight) in hopes of providing players with as much data and analysis as possible. Many clubs already implemented this kind of technology years ago. The Cardinals are simply trying to catch up, but Bloom and Cerfolio are optimistic their approach will lead to further innovation once the franchise has gotten up to speed.

How long do you think it will take to complete the Cardinals’ “rebuild, retool” or whatever? Also, what is your take on Chaim Bloom successfully accomplishing this? — Thomas K. 

How long do you think it’ll take Bloom to build a team that’s a serious World Series contender, given the lack of depth in minor- and major-league pitching? — Andrew H. 

It’s far too early to put a timeline on when the Cardinals will be competitive again, though we know the club will likely take a step back next year. Some of that will be related to just how quickly the organization can replenish its pitching — and that is no easy feat, given the rapid influx of pitcher injuries across the league. Player performance will also dictate the club’s timeframe. If enough players take steps forward, that could expedite the process.

But if I had to put a ballpark estimate on this process, I’d point to Bloom’s contract terms as a good indicator. When chairman Bill DeWitt Jr. signed Bloom to be the next president of baseball operations, he extended a fairly lengthy contract. Bloom is under tenure for five years, through the 2031 system. That leads me to believe ownership knows this won’t be a quick fix and will allow Bloom enough time to truly rebuild the organization — not just patch it and hope something sticks.

Do you expect significant personnel changes in either scouting or player development this offseason? I know Bloom has brought in new lieutenants on the player development side, but is further turnover needed, especially on the Randy Flores (scouting) side of things? — Andrew H.

I expect to see more staff changes this offseason, but I expect most of those changes to be additions rather than subtractions. We know Bloom and Cerfolio want to continue to add positions to the minor leagues, including more coordinators. As the organization continues to implement modernized technology, adding personnel who are familiar with how to operate the system — and how to incorporate better results from the data — will also be a focal point.

This doesn’t mean every position is safe, however. Most front-office contracts are up at the end of the season, including a majority of the scouting department. The Cardinals have given no inclination that they’d be willing to upheave the department, and given ownership’s pledge to emphasize draft and development, that wouldn’t make much sense either. But this could be another department where Bloom increases staffing, or at least changes the approach as to how the organization identifies both amateur and pro talent.

Do you foresee Oli Marmol managing in 2026, and is part of 2025 him managing for his job? — Dennis K. 

This is purely speculation, but I’d be quite surprised if Marmol does not return as the Cardinals manager next season, the final year of the three-year extension he signed ahead of the 2024 season. It’s fair to question any manager’s future when a new front office is coming in, but in Marmol’s case, it’s hardly black and white.

The Cardinals aren’t expecting to be competitive next year. Bloom and ownership want to emphasize player development, an area Marmol is well-experienced in after spending 16 years coaching in the Cardinals’ minor-league system before making his way to the big league staff in 2017. He’s done an admirable job in ensuring ample playing time for the majority of the young players the front office wanted to see, despite a roster without much wiggle room. While some organizations like to avoid a “lame-duck” term when it comes to their manager, it makes sense if Bloom wants a trial season with Marmol before making a definitive decision.

As for how Marmol’s handling the uncertainty — both about the organization’s future and his own — the skipper sat down with The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal earlier in the month for an expansive Q&A. His answers don’t reflect someone who doesn’t plan to be here next year.

What can we expect from the Chaim Bloom era compared to the John Mozeliak era? — Barrett S. 

Based on what you have seen and heard in the last year, what do you think Bloom will do differently than Mozeliak? Not just “rebuilding the system,” but in terms of bringing a new organizational mindset? — J. Scott 

I think a new organizational mindset is exactly what Bloom and company will bring. That’s a vague term, I know. Fans should be prepared to see a different brand of Cardinals baseball, and I’m not talking about the recession of competition at the major-league level next year.

One look at the modernization of the Tampa Bay Rays, or how the Boston Red Sox minor-league system has progressed, will allow fans to see what Bloom will emphasize when he takes over the organization. It’s why the Cardinals originally signed him as an advisor before the 2024 season; the organization knew it had fallen behind in player development and sought out one of the industry’s most innovative leaders to help.

Fans can expect a commitment to modern-day analytics and the utilization of newer technology, but that doesn’t mean the George Kissell handbook is going by the side. Bloom’s appreciation of baseball history is probably understated, and I think fans will start to understand his commitment to ensuring the Cardinals are pioneers in the industry again once he starts speaking on behalf of the organization.

This line from the Cardinals’ end-of-year news conference last season sticks out.

“There’s a lot of work ahead of us these days,” Bloom said. “But the St. Louis Cardinals at our best are the organization that sets the bar for everyone else, and we can be again.”

How the Cardinals operate will change, but the end goal for the franchise remains the same: Return winning baseball to St. Louis, and do it in a way that changes the industry.

(Photo: Winslow Townson / USA Today)