With a continued focus on their younger core, it has been a trying season for the St. Louis Cardinals. They find themselves ranked fourth in the National League Central with their 72-75 record.
With not much hope for a postseason push, the attention now turns to what this team can do to get better over the offseason. With season-low fan attendance, the front office must make some changes, put a better club on the field, and get their fans back in the seats.
Luckily for the fans, they have Chaim Bloom taking over for John Mozeliak as the club's president of baseball operations. He has had great success turning around organizations, working previously for the Tampa Bay Rays and the Boston Red Sox.
Cardinals urged to move on from fan favorite outfielder
Chaim Bloom will certainly have some tough decisions to make when he steps in office. He must decide what to do with Nolan Arenado, but that is not all. Sports Illustrated's Patrick McAvoy urges the club to move on from Lars Nootbaar.
"Probably a bit of a hot take. Nootbaar also has been a good member of the organization. But, he's 28 years old. He's entering his prime and has just a few years of control left. If the Cardinals are going to try to bring back prospects this offseason, Nootbaar is a guy that may not fit the contention timeline and could bring a pretty penny back."
McAvoy believes that Nootbaar would be somebody who would bring back some good prospects in return. And while he has played well in St. Louis, he just does not fit the club's current contention timeline.