Are the Cardinals rebuilding or trying to win now? It’s complicated

When the rain finally lifted after a 90-minute delay and the St. Louis Cardinals opened their season in front of 47,395 red-clad fans at Busch Stadium, two long-familiar sights were a bit of a surprise to anyone who followed the offseason rumor mill: Nolan Arenado coming out of the home dugout for a curtain call after a home run and Sonny Gray shutting down the opposition in a Cardinals uniform.

There was a feeling across the industry that the Cardinals could be a major storyline when the offseason began and that both players could be wearing new uniforms by Opening Day. One of MLB’s storied franchises was embarking on a stated reset as it transitions from longtime executive John Mozeliak to former Tampa Bay Rays and Boston Red Sox exec Chaim Bloom, who is waiting in the wings to take over in 2026. A winter dealing away veteran players seemed likely.

The Cardinals rarely go through these downturns, when rumors center on them trading stars instead of acquiring them. In fact, it wasn’t that long ago that the Cardinals nabbed former first baseman Paul Goldschmidt from the Arizona Diamondbacks (in Dec. 2018) and then third baseman Nolan Arenado from the Colorado Rockies (before the 2021 season) to help keep a 15-year streak of finishing above .500 alive.

But that came to an end in 2023 when St. Louis bottomed out, going 71-91 before bouncing back with an 83-win season in 2024. Still, their record wasn’t nearly good enough to make the postseason and with declining television revenue and attendance, the franchise decided change was needed. Even while sweeping the Twins on opening weekend, attendance dropped after the first game with record-low numbers attending Busch Stadium — including just 21,206 and 20,309 (the lowest totals in ballpark history) for two games against the Los Angeles Angels.

“The word ‘reset’ can be interpreted a lot of different ways,” Mozeliak told ESPN. “I’ve been trying to use the word ‘transition’ more because it’s more relatable to what we’re trying to do. We are in a transition in leadership. We’re also in a transition to what this team is going to look like.”

“Our business model has changed. There’s less revenue on the TV side, we have less revenue on the ticket-sale side right now. We’re trying to make adjustments as best we can. The one lever to pull is payroll when you’re dealing with that.”

That’s where this past winter was supposed to help accelerate the franchise’s direction for the years ahead. The Cardinals’ roster is full of veterans who could help other teams. Moving them out would also lead to more room for a word heard frequently this spring: Runway. St. Louis wants to give its young players the space for a real chance to show who they are during this transition. It’s essential to the plan.

But a funny thing happened on the way to trading Arenado, Gray, starter Miles mycolas or catcher turned first baseman Willson Contreras: They didn’t want to leave (at least not for the teams that matched up with St. Louis in discussions). The no-trade clauses in their contracts wound up having a big impact on the Cardinals’ winter.

“The reason those are given is we felt like those were below-market deals to come to St. Louis,” Mozeliak said. “The market is getting more and more competitive. It feels like the coastal teams have a benefit. For us, when you think back to the last 30 years, that was our competitive advantage.”

“There was a lot of chatter about us moving one of our veteran players. That didn’t happen. Some of the things that we were thinking about in that transition didn’t happen because of that, so we are where we are.”

Nonetheless, the lack of activity was surprising to some in the industry.

“I thought they would do more,” said one rival executive who didn’t have trade discussions with the Cardinals. “I’m interested to see how things play out. No-trade clauses are tricky.”

So the plan changed a little for 2025. Developing young players while still trying to win games with an older core has become the objective.

“We are walking two parallel paths,” Mozeliak stated. “We have a younger club that has some uncertainty in how they’re going to play, but if it clicks, it could be pretty good. But on that other parallel track, we are looking to build for the future.”

The team also held onto All-Star closer Ryan Helsley and starter Erick Fedde (though neither has a no-trade clause) and began the season near the middle of MLB in average age.

The Cardinals also didn’t have a qualified rookie on their Opening Day roster for the first time since 2007. But St. Louis is committed to getting playing time for young homegrown position players including Jordan Walker, Nolan Gorman and Alec Burleson. While for the older players on the roster, their job for the next three-plus months is to leave the front office with tough choices to make at the trade deadline.

“If I have my way, the Cardinals are playing great baseball by then and we’re adding guys instead of getting rid of them,” Mikolas said. St. Louis got off to a fast start toward that goal, sweeping the Twins last weekend before finally losing their first game on Tuesday to the Angels.

“They talk about a reset, but the energy in the clubhouse is even way better this year because we see a lot of comments around us that make us a little mad — in a good way,” Contreras said. “We’re here to prove what we can do.”

Even with the team playing with a fire to compete, it’s possible that by July, some of those in the clubhouse could change their minds regarding his no-trade clauses. Perhaps the toughest decision that the team could have to make will be what to do with Helsley if St. Louis is still competing in the NL Central or wild-card races. Teams in transition don’t usually hold on to closers because they are so valuable to contenders looking for the final pieces.

After entering the offseason as a constant name in trade speculation, the 102 mph-throwing All-Star closer said he is surprised that he is even starting the season still with the team that originally drafted him in 2015.

“I’ll be the first to admit, I thought I was gone for sure,” Helsley said. “I mean if it’s a reset, and this is my walk year. I thought I would be first to go. I was kind of surprised they brought me back.”

Helsley got plenty of questions about his future from friends and family, but the attention on him was nothing compared to Arenado. After a down year last season — then turning down a trade to Houston during the winter — Arenado is hoping to return to All-Star form after consecutive down seasons. On Opening Day — before the eighth-inning curtain call — he was asked if he thought he would eventually accept a trade during the winter months.

“It was 50/50 and then at one point I probably got to like 70/30, I wasn’t [returning]but at the end of the day I always knew there was a chance I could come back and so I’ve always been prepared for that,” Arenado said.

The 10-time Gold Glove winner used Muay Thai to get away from the noise while training his body to be better prepared for the rigors of the season. He says that he’s moving better than ever at age 33 and wants to prove he’s still a valuable player after hitting just 16 home runs with a .719 OPS last season.

“I’ve read some things or seen the things on TV, what people have said about me, so of course that always motivates you,” Arenado said. “I feel like my first step on defense is good again, so that’s nice. Not that it was bad last year, but it wasn’t the way I would like it.”

Now that the new season has arrived, Marmol will be under the microscope as he tries to find the right mix during a unique time for the franchise. Will his decisions lean more toward the future than the present?

“When those opportunities present themselves, feel free to ask,” Marmol said to reporters. “And we’ll have that conversation. It will pop up. It’s not a clear-cut task.

“You pick your spots to do things and you pick your spots to allow runway. You can do both effectively. You don’t have to pick the runway button for 162. There is opportunity to do both.”