Cardinals to Suffer Huge Front Office Setback as MLB Gives Up on Colorado Rockies

The St. Louis Cardinals face an impending leadership void that could reshape their organizational future. With their current 65-69 record, placing them fourth in the NL Central, the Cardinals grapple with more than just on-field struggles. A significant front office transition looms as the 2025 season winds down, threatening to disrupt the franchise’s strategic direction during a crucial rebuilding phase.

The Colorado Rockies’ dismal 38-95 record hasn’t just cemented their last-place standing in the NL West—it’s sparked speculation about potential connections to Cardinals President of Baseball Operations John Mozeliak. As Mozeliak approaches the final months of his contract, which expires after this season, industry insiders wonder whether Colorado’s organizational chaos might present an opportunity for the departing executive. The Rockies’ infrastructure problems and years of mismanagement have created what many consider baseball’s most challenging front office puzzle.

It is worth noting that Rockies owner Dick Monfort has historically resisted granting full autonomy to his baseball operations heads, which has scared off experienced executives in the past. Mozeliak, who has emphasized work-life balance in recent interviews, would be an unlikely candidate for such a turbulent and tightly controlled environment.

Ken Rosenthal recently offered his perspective on Mozeliak’s future, effectively dampening any Colorado speculation. “I don’t expect that he is going to jump into another job where he’d be the head of baseball operations,” Rosenthal explained. The veteran reporter emphasized Mozeliak’s nearly two-decade tenure since 2007, noting the high-stress nature of the position. Rosenthal believes Mozeliak would “accept a lesser role rather than a head of baseball operations role” if he remains in baseball. Most tellingly, he expressed doubt about Mozeliak tackling Colorado’s challenges: “I would be surprised if he was the guy in Colorado, simply because it seems to me from talking to him, from talking to others, he wants to take a step back.”

Mozeliak’s departure mirrors similar transitions throughout MLB, where veteran executives step away from demanding roles. However, his recent restraint at the trade deadline demonstrates the professionalism that has defined his tenure. Despite widespread speculation about available Cardinals talent, Mozeliak resisted major moves, dealing only three relievers on expiring contracts. ESPN’s Jeff Passan praised this approach, noting that “Mozeliak did not overstep his bounds and make deals that should be the purview of his replacement.” Passan emphasized how “other executives might have let ego get in the way in trying to put one final stamp on a franchise they’ve run for more than a decade.” This measured approach reflects Mozeliak’s commitment to organizational stability even as his successor, Chaim Bloom, prepares to inherit a Cardinals organization searching for its identity after consecutive disappointing seasons.

That professionalism, however admirable, doesn’t erase the fundamental problems Mozeliak leaves behind. The real work begins when Bloom officially takes control and confronts the roster’s glaring structural flaws.

Cardinals Face Critical Offseason Decisions

While Mozeliak exits with grace, he leaves behind a roster construction nightmare that demands immediate surgical precision. The St. Louis Cardinals stand at a brutal crossroads, facing their third straight playoff absence with glaring roster imbalances that scream dysfunction. Bloom inherits a franchise drowning in redundancy—too many catchers cluttering the depth chart, an overabundance of left-handed bats, while desperately lacking quality pitching and right-handed power.

Brandon Kiley from 101ESPN proposed a controversial but logical solution that could jumpstart this necessary overhaul. He suggests packaging Lars Nootbaar and Brendan Donovan to championship contenders while building around Nolan Gorman for 2026. “They would make a ton of sense for a contender setting the table for Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton, or setting the table for Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper, setting the table for Mookie Betts and Shohei Ohtani,” Kiley explained. “Those guys make more sense in those kinds of lineups than what they would potentially do here in St. Louis next year.”

Even Kiley acknowledged the emotional weight of his proposal, admitting the difficulty of suggesting such moves. “I don’t love what I’m saying here. I am a huge Brendan Donovan fan. But to me, where things stand today, I think that how the Cardinals should be operating right now is with the assumption Gorman actually might have played his way into our lineup in 2026 because of what he brings to the table.” Gorman’s defensive versatility between second and third base, combined with his genuine left-handed power stroke, positions him as a legitimate cornerstone piece.

Both Donovan and Nootbaar carry substantial trade value that could address St. Louis’s most pressing needs—quality pitching depth and consistent right-handed offensive production. This approach would give Bloom the ammunition needed to escape Mozeliak’s problematic roster legacy and finally construct a competitive foundation for sustained success.