The St. Louis Cardinals are prepared for a second consecutive October without postseason baseball. They were eliminated from contention last week.
The team's roster was poorly constructed this year, and it led to yet another disappointing season. Fans are obviously hoping that 2025 is a different story.
However, Katie Woo of The Athletic provided a reality check and pointed out that 2025 may be more of the same for the Redbirds.
"The Cardinals are preparing to overhaul their player development system. Chaim Bloom will oversee this process. He'll also be tasked with hiring the organization's new director of player development," Woo tweeted. "Winning, at least for now, could be on the back burner."
This is not news that Cardinals fans want to hear. The fanbase in St. Louis is so accustomed to winning baseball, and a rebuilding year seems unfathomable.
However, this may be necessary if the Cardinals want to get back to their winning ways. They could still finish over .500 this year and possibly again next season. But it appears that it's going to be a while before they can be considered true contenders again.
Woo noted that the player development system has fallen apart. The Cardinals relied heavily on their player development during their glory years, and with that depleted, they have fallen on hard times.
2025 is shaping up to be more of a bridge year than one in which the Cardinals contend. It will be interesting to see how everything plays out.
More MLB: Cardinals executive confirms front office changes are in store for team
