After 3 awful years now the cards want to rebuild lol

[dugoutrex]

surely the 'tank crowd' will fill the stadium!

[Ordinary Man]

The incompetence of this ownership is very scary

Maybe, perhaps, just a shot in the dark, they wanted Bloom to be in charge and in full control for the rebuild. Ya think?

And BDW could have fired Mo a full year earlier effective immediately when he decided to install Bloom instead of giving him a wasted year of runway. That handling was a massive missed opportunity.

Just being loyal to a long time friend who had helped bring winning seasons for many years.

You and Mr. DeWitt?

I think he was referring to BDWJr being loyal to Mo.

And that was a huge mistake, Dewitt should've fired Mo years ago before the team fell on hard times and attendance cratered.

Exactly!!

[The Nard]

And if it takes them 3+ more years to rebuild to competitiveness, what then?

[rockondlouie]

The incompetence of this ownership is very scary

Maybe, perhaps, just a shot in the dark, they wanted Bloom to be in charge and in full control for the rebuild. Ya think?

And BDW could have fired Mo a full year earlier effective immediately when he decided to install Bloom instead of giving him a wasted year of runway. That handling was a massive missed opportunity.

Just being loyal to a long time friend who had helped bring winning seasons for many years.

You and Mr. DeWitt?

I think he was referring to BDWJr being loyal to Mo.

And that was a huge mistake, Dewitt should've fired Mo years ago before the team fell on hard times and attendance cratered.

Exactly!!

There's "loyalty" and then there's mismanagement, Dewitt was at fault here.

[zuck698]

The incompetence of this ownership is very scary

Maybe, perhaps, just a shot in the dark, they wanted Bloom to be in charge and in full control for the rebuild. Ya think?

And BDW could have fired Mo a full year earlier effective immediately when he decided to install Bloom instead of giving him a wasted year of runway. That handling was a massive missed opportunity.

Very true! Another missed opportunity is the keeping of the current Field General. If we are going to rebuild with all the "yutes", then for God's sake, get someone who is a leader for a manager. Bloom says he hasn't ruled out competing in 2026. At this point, I will take him at his word, but I really question wanting Ipad Marmol being the guy to lead this rebuild on the field and compete at the same time? The guy who doesn't need to feel "the pressure" to win!

[ScotchMIrish]

The incompetence of this ownership is very scary

I strongly suspect Dewitt III is running things now. Jr would never have gone along with a dump and rebuild. He wanted to trade off prospects to stay in contention. The LaRussa model.

[earp]

Arenado traded, Nootbaar hurt, Victor Scott II hitting under .200 — then the 2026 Cardinals depth chart gets chaotic fast.
Who's on 3rd
What's on 2nd
Outfield
Start pitching
Closer
?

[Poojols]

They kept trying to patch the ML roster to "compete" (what many here continue to call for) until they just couldn't any longer.

As noted long ago, they should have traded Goldschmidt and Arenado at back in July 2023 and started the rebuild at that point.

No. The problem wasn't "patching". Teams always have to do this. The problem was cheap patching. Period.

They got Gray going into 2024, which was very much NOT a cheap patch. Once that - along with still having to pay Arenado, Goldschmidt, Contreras, Mikolas, etc., there was no other serious option than some "cheaper patching" for the many other inadequacies on the roster.

I disagree on Gray. He was a cheap patch. Instead of signing an ace / elite free agent for once, they set their eyes on a #2. They tricked a lot of fans once again into thinking they were competing.

[zuck698]

The incompetence of this ownership is very scary

I strongly suspect Dewitt III is running things now. Jr would never have gone along with a dump and rebuild. He wanted to trade off prospects to stay in contention. The LaRussa model.

Agreed Irish. I have said the same in several posts. And while we know that Jr. would spend the money to at least be in the top ten of payrolls in the past, I have severe doubts about number 3! That is what concerns me about going forward with not spending any money now. III is the one who blatanly said in an interview, that if fans don't show up, "we won't spend"! Do we really think fans will show up for continued losing baseball, year after year? That is why I am a proponent of building on youth, but also putting a competitve team on the field. The walk and chew gum approach. I also question his passion for the game vs his father's passion. There was a time Bill wanted to win. I am not so sure that the son cares either way, as long as the checks clear. He seems to be more analytical than his father and leans toward the marketing aspects of the game. You can see this transition over the last 10 years if you look closely. I think 3 has had a good amount of control over the last several years. The Cards were not so heavily dependent on analytics before 2016. This goes along with Melville's statement about a Marketing Firm with a baseball team attached. I.M.O.

[rockondlouie]

The incompetence of this ownership is very scary

I strongly suspect Dewitt III is running things now. Jr would never have gone along with a dump and rebuild. He wanted to trade off prospects to stay in contention. The LaRussa model.

BDWIII better known as "FREDO"

[Cranny]

The incompetence of this ownership is very scary

Maybe, perhaps, just a shot in the dark, they wanted Bloom to be in charge and in full control for the rebuild. Ya think?

And BDW could have fired Mo a full year earlier effective immediately when he decided to install Bloom instead of giving him a wasted year of runway. That handling was a massive missed opportunity.

Just an old fashion way of doing things. Being loyal and a little protective on an employee who had helped to bring him
a great deal of success in winning seasons over the years and two World Championships.
Just being loyal to a long time friend who had helped bring winning seasons for many years.

You and Mr. DeWitt?

[Cranny]

The incompetence of this ownership is very scary

Maybe, perhaps, just a shot in the dark, they wanted Bloom to be in charge and in full control for the rebuild. Ya think?

And BDW could have fired Mo a full year earlier effective immediately when he decided to install Bloom instead of giving him a wasted year of runway. That handling was a massive missed opportunity.

Just an old fashion way of doing things. Being loyal and a little protective on an employee who had helped to bring him
a great deal of success in winning seasons over the years and two World Championships.
Just being loyal to a long time friend who had helped bring winning seasons for many years.

You and Mr. DeWitt?

Old fashion loyalty shown by BDW, Jr. to Mo. A type of loyalty not seen as much anymore.

[Imperial Capitalist]

The incompetence of this ownership is very scary

Maybe, perhaps, just a shot in the dark, they wanted Bloom to be in charge and in full control for the rebuild. Ya think?

And BDW could have fired Mo a full year earlier effective immediately when he decided to install Bloom instead of giving him a wasted year of runway. That handling was a massive missed opportunity.

Just being loyal to a long time friend who had helped bring winning seasons for many years.

Sentimentality belongs in the marketing department, not in the board room per who is running the franchise into the ground, as it turned out. If loyalty mattered that much to Dewitt, then he should have purchased Mozeliak a Bentley and told him to hit the road in it.

[Cranny]

The incompetence of this ownership is very scary

Maybe, perhaps, just a shot in the dark, they wanted Bloom to be in charge and in full control for the rebuild. Ya think?

And BDW could have fired Mo a full year earlier effective immediately when he decided to install Bloom instead of giving him a wasted year of runway. That handling was a massive missed opportunity.

Just being loyal to a long time friend who had helped bring winning seasons for many years.

Sentimentality belongs in the marketing department, not in the board room per who is running the franchise into the ground, as it turned out. If loyalty mattered that much to Dewitt, then he should have purchased Mozeliak a Bentley and told him to hit the road in it.

BDW, Jr. has his way of showing loyalty, and you have yours. No problem.

[ScotchMIrish]

The incompetence of this ownership is very scary

I strongly suspect Dewitt III is running things now. Jr would never have gone along with a dump and rebuild. He wanted to trade off prospects to stay in contention. The LaRussa model.

Agreed Irish. I have said the same in several posts. And while we know that Jr. would spend the money to at least be in the top ten of payrolls in the past, I have severe doubts about number 3! That is what concerns me about going forward with not spending any money now. III is the one who blatanly said in an interview, that if fans don't show up, "we won't spend"! Do we really think fans will show up for continued losing baseball, year after year? That is why I am a proponent of building on youth, but also putting a competitve team on the field. The walk and chew gum approach. I also question his passion for the game vs his father's passion. There was a time Bill wanted to win. I am not so sure that the son cares either way, as long as the checks clear. He seems to be more analytical than his father and leans toward the marketing aspects of the game. You can see this transition over the last 10 years if you look closely. I think 3 has had a good amount of control over the last several years. The Cards were not so heavily dependent on analytics before 2016. This goes along with Melville's statement about a Marketing Firm with a baseball team attached. I.M.O.

Another clue is the tv deal at $20 a month to watch Cardinals baseball. Previously it was part of a lot of basic packages. I suspect that was III. The result is most people can't watch the game any longer and the associated lack of interest is partly why attendance has declined.

This is a completely new philosophy.

[BrockFloodMaris]

They kept trying to patch the ML roster to "compete" (what many here continue to call for) until they just couldn't any longer.

As noted long ago, they should have traded Goldschmidt and Arenado at back in July 2023 and started the rebuild at that point.

Yes, I completely agree. The trinity of regret--would've, should've, and could've aren't going to help us at all today.