Latest news with #ChaimBloom
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Cardinals' Chaim Bloom predicted to make bold offseason catcher decision
Cardinals' Chaim Bloom predicted to make bold offseason catcher decision originally appeared on The Sporting News With the MLB offseason being a pivotal time for the St. Louis Cardinals, a lot of change could be on the horizon. John Mozeliak is stepping down as president of baseball operations, and Chaim Bloom is taking over. Bloom will have a busy first offseason in St. Louis, as he needs to make key decisions on top prospects, the lineup, and with manager Oli Marmol. But Curt Bishop of predicts Bloom will trade from his catcher depth to target help elsewhere. Bishop predicts that Bloom will "Trade from catching depth to acquire controllable starting pitching." While it might take more than just a catching prospect, the Cardinals do have the talent to begin trade talks for a controllable starting pitcher. Pedro Pages and Yohel Pozo are Major Leaguers, while Jimmy Crooks, Raniel Rodriguez, and Leonardo Bernal are catching prospects. According to MLB Pipeline, Crooks is 5th, Rodriguez is 4th, and Bernal is 3rd in the Cardinals prospect rankings. Both Bernal and Rodriguez are inside the top 100, with Bernal at 76th and Rodriguez at 86th overall. "That's a lot of catchers and not enough places to put them." Bishop writes. "So, Bloom will likely have to get creative to clear out a logjam, and this is one of many that the Cardinals have." MORE: Cardinals' trade acquisition shares five-word message with fans Their two current starters and top three prospects aren't all they have depth-wise. Ivan Herrera could also start at catcher, but the Cardinals are trying him out in the outfield while also slotting him in as the team's designated hitter. While Bloom could make some unpopular decisions on their position players in the offseason, the catcher spot is one where the Cardinals can utilize to improve the roster elsewhere. They aren't hurting for MLB depth, and they also have three top-five prospects who could make a difference at the MLB level. Bishop is predicting the Cardinals' deal from their catcher depth for a controllable starting pitcher. Bloom could also look to package one of their other players, Lars Nootbaar, Alec Burleson, or Nolan Gorman, for example, to help facilitate a deal. Teams will likely be interested in the catching depth in St. Louis, and Bishop predicts that Bloom will trade from that depth to land a controllable starter. The Cardinals could be in for a very active and interesting offseason in Bloom's first year of control. MORE MLB NEWS: Astros trade for 27-year-old left-handed-hitting Marlins outfielder Astros agree to blockbuster trade with Twins for Carlos Correa Padres trade Ryan Bergert, Stephen Kolek to Royals for a new catcher Tigers lost out to Mets on trade for Cardinals' Ryan Helsley Padres pull off blockbuster trade for Athletics' Mason Miller Guardians to trade Cy Young starter Shane Bieber to Blue Jays
New York Times
4 days ago
- Sport
- New York Times
Yadier Molina to return to Cardinals, will be in uniform as coach for Cubs series
Former St. Louis Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina will be in uniform as a member of the major-league coaching staff for the team's upcoming three-game series against the Chicago Cubs, manager Oli Marmol said Friday. It will be Molina's first public appearance as a member of the organization since he retired in 2022. Albert Pujols on the unspoken connection he had with Yadier Molina when back-picking runners at first base! — MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) May 19, 2025 Molina's return comes during a trying time for the organization. The Cardinals' transition season resulted in a sell-off at the trade deadline, with the club's future uncertain. Mozeliak will step down at the end of the year and current advisor Chaim Bloom — who will take over as president of baseball operations — has already placed a firm focus on investing in player development and the minor leagues, but it remains to be seen what Bloom's plan for the major-league team will be in 2026. Advertisement Molina has been candid about his desires to manage in MLB — and will manage Team Puerto Rico for the second time in next year's World Baseball Classic. Marmol has one year remaining on his current contract. With a new front office coming in, speculation over their skipper's future is bound to happen — though the Cardinals have given no indication they will make a managerial change. Marmol is aware of the outside noise, but that won't deter him from ensuring Molina can be around the team. 'Anytime you get the chance to have someone like Yadi around your players, you take it,' Marmol said. 'It's a no-brainer. The experience, the leadership, the presence he brings — it impacts everyone. As soon as I heard he was going to be in town, inviting him to sit next to me was the right move. It's good for the players, good for the staff, and honestly, it's great for the fans too.' Molina has limited his public appearances since his retirement. He has returned to Busch Stadium just once, when longtime battery-mate Adam Wainwright retired in 2023. The Cardinals hired Molina as a special advisor to Mozeliak before the 2024 season, but Molina was notably absent from the organization. The 10-time All Star acknowledged his time away from the Cardinals to The Athletic in March, citing a need to be around his family — especially his 16-year-old son Yanuell, who recently committed to playing college baseball at The University of Texas at Arlington. But Molina also recognized how his prolonged absence could raise concern with fans, and expressed hope he'd be able to come back to St. Louis at some point this season. 'I would love to be there,' Molina said during spring training. 'I would love to teach and coach the catchers … But right now my priority is to be with my family. 'I wish life was different for me to be there with the organization and in the city. And I hope that comes soon because I really miss it.' Yadier Molina has been named Team Puerto Rico's manager for the 2026 World Baseball Classic! — MLB (@MLB) June 18, 2025 Molina won't have a set role with the club over the weekend, though he's sure to work with catchers Pedro Pagés and Yohel Pozo. Marmol hopes the entire clubhouse will take advantage of the opportunity, especially given the influx of youth post-trade deadline. Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms Play today's puzzle
New York Times
01-07-2025
- Business
- New York Times
Cardinals 2025 trade deadline preview: Buyers? Sellers? And who's running the show?
With his club exceeding expectations, John Mozeliak has an interesting predicament ahead. The St. Louis Cardinals (47-39) have played their way into National League contention. Now, the Cardinals' longtime president of baseball operations must decide which direction to take at the trade deadline. Welcome to July, Cardinals fans. Let the rumors fly. Advertisement The next 31 days could make or break the Cardinals' season. If they falter, the path for Mozeliak is clear — sell off expiring contracts and continue creating opportunity for young players. But if the Cardinals stay in the race? That's where things get complicated. With the trade deadline month underway, The Athletic has you covered on what to monitor. Here's an early look at the Cardinals' deadline. Mozeliak calls the shots here. He remains in charge of major-league decisions in his final year, and that includes the deadline. Adviser Chaim Bloom will be available to, well, advise, but it's unclear how much say he'll have — if any — come July 31. This could change if Mozeliak swings a trade that impacts 2026 and beyond. Bloom will take over after the season, meaning any contract Mozeliak lands that extends past this year will be Bloom's responsibility. It is highly unlikely Mozeliak would sign off on a trade that has significant ramifications for next season and beyond without heavy input from his successor. But the likelihood of the Cardinals agreeing to a trade of that magnitude in the first place is also unlikely. As competitive as they've been, the focus remains on the future. Mozeliak has maintained his intentions to compete this year, despite a reset season and a reduction in payroll. Credit where it's due: St. Louis has been one of baseball's most surprising success stories. This ups the ante for Mozeliak. Can he improve his club without deviating from the organization's long-term plan? Will he receive support from ownership, despite a significant decline in gate revenue and a restructured television deal? Will the pressure of pleasing a dissatisfied fan base impact decisions? Is this team capable of sustaining this level of success? These are all things the Cardinals' top exec will weigh over the next month. Advertisement Barring a collapse, it's unlikely the Cardinals will be true sellers. However, it's equally doubtful St. Louis commits to an all-in approach. The organization has an opportunity to trade away players, bolster the farm system and open up major-league opportunity for a handful of players, and improve while doing so. How does that make sense? Take a look at the Detroit Tigers. Last year, the Tigers traded several players on expiring deals, including Jack Flaherty, Andrew Chafin, Carson Kelly and Mark Canha. Detroit netted a handful of prospects and opened the door for several of its young players to play every day. By definition, the Tigers were sellers. But the Tigers took off in the second half, going 30-13 from Aug. 13 on to clinch an improbable wild-card spot. Detroit now has the best record in the American League. This is an extreme example that shows it's possible to sell and remain competitive. If the Cardinals keep up their pace, Mozeliak could mix and match where he sells and where he adds. One thing that is mostly assured: Regardless of direction, moves are expected to be incremental. Blockbuster deals aren't on the horizon for St. Louis, especially not this year. Plenty of Cardinals players will draw interest. Many will have significant value. Neither of those things means much if the Cardinals are unwilling to engage. Ryan Helsley, Steven Matz, Erick Fedde, Phil Maton and Miles Mikolas are in the final years of their contracts. If St. Louis intends to add via subtraction like Detroit, offloading impending free agents is a sensible place to start. But just because a contract bodes well for logistics doesn't mean the team will follow through. Mikolas has a full no-trade clause. It's improbable he waives it, even if the Cardinals entertain offers on him. Matz and Maton will generate considerable interest as high-leverage relievers, and the value of bullpen arms tends to peak around the deadline. But both veterans have played key roles in the Cardinals' late-inning success. If the team wants to make a second-half push, established veterans with postseason experience are what it should be targeting, not trading away. Advertisement Helsley's case is complicated. The two-time All-Star has seen his ERA jump to 3.41, nearly 1 1/2 runs above his 2.04 mark in 2024, and his fastball command has been erratic. Yet he remains one of the game's top closers — and contending teams will overpay for an elite ninth-inning arm, regardless of expiring contract status. If the Cardinals consider themselves contenders, would they trade their top reliever? If they keep him, do they risk letting him walk in free agency (something that will ultimately be a Bloom decision)? St. Louis may receive such a strong offer that it feels compelled to move Helsley. But initial internal conversations have suggested the opposite. The Cardinals may feel inclined to hold on to Helsley and decide on his future at the end of the season, and weigh the risk of losing out on a return if he walks in free agency. This situation is likely to fluctuate throughout the next few weeks. Fedde is the likeliest to be traded. Much like last season with the Chicago White Sox, Fedde (who is in the final year of a two-year, $7.5 million deal) would garner considerable interest as a low-cost, mid-rotation starter. The purpose of swapping Fedde would be to open up a rotation spot for Michael McGreevy. But if they part ways with a starter, the club risks being left unprotected if a starting pitcher lands on the injured list. The lack of major-league-ready depth in Triple A remains a concern and could give the organization pause regarding a potential Fedde trade. The Cardinals would benefit from adding one more high-leverage right-handed reliever. Kyle Leahy has done a nice job setting up Maton and Helsley, but acquiring an experienced veteran could help settle things for an inexperienced bullpen. Things are much murkier from the position player standpoint. St. Louis could target an impact bat, but that would come at the cost of playing time for at least one of its budding hitters. The Cardinals already face a logjam when they activate Jordan Walker (appendicitis) off the injured list as early as Friday. They'll be even more compacted when Iván Herrera (Grade 2 hamstring strain) comes back, potentially by the end of the month. The Cardinals find it challenging enough to find ample playing time for Alec Burleson and Nolan Gorman. Injuries changed that, and both hitters have prospered in their new everyday roles. Adding a bat would come at the expense of one player, if not both. Would acquiring a rental be worth parting with talent and also delaying development for two key players? That's another thing Mozeliak must consider among a long list of decisions before July 31. (Top photo of Ryan Helsley: Scott Kane / Getty Images)
Yahoo
16-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Red Sox's trade of Rafael Devers marks the conclusion of an untenable situation that never should've gotten to this point
The Red Sox shocked the baseball world on Sunday by trading designated hitter and third baseman Rafael Devers to the San Francisco Giants. The trade ends a months-long saga between the Red Sox and Devers. The timeline of Devers' tenure with the Red Sox organization goes back more than a decade to when Boston signed him as an international free agent at the age of 16. He then made his debut in 2017 at age 20, and it wasn't long before his impact was being felt in Boston. Advertisement After the trade of superstar Mookie Betts in 2020 and the departure of Xander Boegaerts in free agency in 2022, the organization looked to Devers to be the new face of the franchise. The Red Sox, led by former top executive Chaim Bloom, inked Devers to a 10-year, $313.5 million extension in December 2022, committing to him for the long-term. But all those warm and fuzzy feelings quickly evaporated this season after Boston acquired third baseman Alex Bregman in free agency and the team told Devers he would be their permanent designated hitter going forward. Devers, who isn't the best defensive third baseman by any metric, was not shy about voicing his displeasure. And it didn't end there. After first baseman Triston Casas was lost for the season after tearing his patellar tendon, the Red Sox asked Devers if he'd be willing to play first base. Having already moved once, he was less than happy about that request and ultimately told the Red Sox no. Advertisement That's how we get to Sunday. After spring training, neither side fully let things go The Red Sox's decision to trade Devers feels like an ugly breakup and the conclusion of an untenable situation that never should've become untenable. The lack of communication between the two sides ultimately doomed this marriage. When Boston told Devers in the spring that he'd only DH and would no longer play the field, the team pigeonholed itself with little room to maneuver. Had they split Devers' time between first base and DH back then, even with a healthy Casas, at the very least they would've had a better path to handle this situation. Instead, Devers felt that the team was never upfront about its intentions for him, not only this year but also going into the offseason. Looking back now, despite all the comments from the Red Sox about moving on after the spring training debacle, it's clear that neither side fully let all this go. The situation smoldered in the background, and now Devers' trade to San Francisco is the ugly ending. Advertisement The Giants' new designated hitter ultimately changed positions and, after an adjustment, has looked like the three-time All-Star he has been his entire career. But let's be clear: Devers never wanted to change positions, and he never stopped feeling that the Red Sox — specifically chief baseball officer Craig Breslow — took his position from him. Therefore, he was unwilling to listen to another request to move to first base. For Breslow and the Red Sox, it seems that they never forgot that Devers wasn't willing to change positions after the addition of Bregman, despite their conviction that it would make the team better. And they also didn't forget that Devers was unwilling to play first after Casas' season-ending knee surgery. Sources tell Yahoo Sports that Devers never made a formal request to the Red Sox to be traded. While this doesn't mean that he wasn't unhappy or frustrated, he wouldn't have been the first disgruntled superstar to play professional baseball. Instead, Boston's decision to trade Devers with the team in great position in the AL wild-card race indicates that they decided they'd be better off without him. What happens now? The timing of the trade is a head-scratcher. We're a month-and-a-half away from the trade deadline, and the Red Sox are not a team clearly looking to sell. Although they've struggled to play consistent baseball in 2025, Boston is coming off a sweep of the AL-East-leading New York Yankees. They're finally back over .500 and just a half-game back of the third AL wild card. Advertisement Trading the team's best hitter in the midst of that hardly makes sense. Devers is currently hitting .272 with 15 homers and a team-leading .905 OPS in 72 games this season. Since April 26, he has an OPS close to 1.000 with 13 home runs. Despite that, it's not hard to believe that Breslow had seen enough. He's not the executive who gave Devers the $313.5 million deal, and therefore, he had no reason to feel beholden to him or whatever promises were made to the 2018 World Series champion three years ago. There are other ramifications of this trade for the Red Sox. First, it puts significant pressure on the team's young core to perform. Boston's prospect trio of second baseman Kristian Campbell, infielder Marcelo Meyer and No. 1 prospect Roman Anthony are highly touted in the game. But none of those players has produced at the level of Devers, and while the hope for each of them is to become an All-Star-caliber player, Devers already is one. This move also gives Bregman and his agent, Scott Boras, tons of leverage this offseason. Bregman, currently on the injured list due to a right quad strain, is making $40 million in average annual value in 2025 and has an opt-out at the end of the season. If he chooses to exercise that and go elsewhere, it would put the Red Sox in an extremely precarious position, without a superstar bat in their lineup. Did both the Red Sox and Devers make mistakes over the past five months? Absolutely. Devers failed to realize the bad optics for him, especially after the Casas injury, despite his being considered a good teammate over the years. He also failed to realize that just because the Bloom regime promised him he'd stay at third, that didn't mean Breslow and Co. would have the same plan. Advertisement But did this situation have to get to this point? No. Ultimately, the Red Sox's ostracizing and alienating their best player created a rift in the relationship that could never be repaired. This move will not be easily digestible for a fan base that has already seen a superstar in Betts traded to the Dodgers, and five years later, no player included in that deal is still with the organization. The patience in Boston was already thin, and trading Devers surely will only exacerbate the issue. As the Red Sox attempt to move forward, Breslow's legacy in Boston will be judged based on what he does following this megadeal. All eyes will be on him to see if he and the Red Sox can prove that this move was the right one for the franchise's future.
Yahoo
16-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Red Sox's trade of Rafael Devers marks the conclusion of an untenable situation that never should've gotten to this point
The Red Sox shocked the baseball world on Sunday by trading designated hitter and third baseman Rafael Devers to the San Francisco Giants. The trade ends a months-long saga between the Red Sox and Devers. The timeline of Devers' tenure with the Red Sox organization goes back more than a decade to when Boston signed him as an international free agent at the age of 16. He then made his debut in 2017 at age 20, and it wasn't long before his impact was being felt in Boston. Advertisement After the trade of superstar Mookie Betts in 2020 and the departure of Xander Boegaerts in free agency in 2022, the organization looked to Devers to be the new face of the franchise. The Red Sox, led by former top executive Chaim Bloom, inked Devers to a 10-year, $313.5 million extension in December 2022, committing to him for the long-term. But all those warm and fuzzy feelings quickly evaporated this season after Boston acquired third baseman Alex Bregman in free agency and the team told Devers he would be their permanent designated hitter going forward. Devers, who isn't the best defensive third baseman by any metric, was not shy about voicing his displeasure. And it didn't end there. After first baseman Triston Casas was lost for the season after tearing his patellar tendon, the Red Sox asked Devers if he'd be willing to play first base. Having already moved once, he was less than happy about that request and ultimately told the Red Sox no. Advertisement That's how we get to Sunday. After spring training, neither side fully let things go The Red Sox's decision to trade Devers feels like an ugly breakup and the conclusion of an untenable situation that never should've become untenable. The lack of communication between the two sides ultimately doomed this marriage. When Boston told Devers in the spring that he'd only DH and would no longer play the field, the team pigeonholed itself with little room to maneuver. Had they split Devers' time between first base and DH back then, even with a healthy Casas, at the very least they would've had a better path to handle this situation. Instead, Devers felt that the team was never upfront about its intentions for him, not only this year but also going into the offseason. Looking back now, despite all the comments from the Red Sox about moving on after the spring training debacle, it's clear that neither side fully let all this go. The situation smoldered in the background, and now Devers' trade to San Francisco is the ugly ending. Advertisement The Giants' new designated hitter ultimately changed positions and, after an adjustment, has looked like the three-time All-Star he has been his entire career. But let's be clear: Devers never wanted to change positions, and he never stopped feeling that the Red Sox — specifically chief baseball officer Craig Breslow — took his position from him. Therefore, he was unwilling to listen to another request to move to first base. For Breslow and the Red Sox, it seems that they never forgot that Devers wasn't willing to change positions after the addition of Bregman, despite their conviction that it would make the team better. And they also didn't forget that Devers was unwilling to play first after Casas' season-ending knee surgery. Sources tell Yahoo Sports that Devers never made a formal request to the Red Sox to be traded. While this doesn't mean that he wasn't unhappy or frustrated, he wouldn't have been the first disgruntled superstar to play professional baseball. Instead, Boston's decision to trade Devers with the team in great position in the AL wild-card race indicates that they decided they'd be better off without him. What happens now? The timing of the trade is a head-scratcher. We're a month-and-a-half away from the trade deadline, and the Red Sox are not a team clearly looking to sell. Although they've struggled to play consistent baseball in 2025, Boston is coming off a sweep of the AL-East-leading New York Yankees. They're finally back over .500 and just a half-game back of the third AL wild card. Advertisement Trading the team's best hitter in the midst of that hardly makes sense. Devers is currently hitting .272 with 15 homers and a team-leading .905 OPS in 72 games this season. Since April 26, he has an OPS close to 1.000 with 13 home runs. Despite that, it's not hard to believe that Breslow had seen enough. He's not the executive who gave Devers the $313.5 million deal, and therefore, he had no reason to feel beholden to him or whatever promises were made to the 2018 World Series champion three years ago. There are other ramifications of this trade for the Red Sox. First, it puts significant pressure on the team's young core to perform. Boston's prospect trio of second baseman Kristian Campbell, infielder Marcelo Meyer and No. 1 prospect Roman Anthony are highly touted in the game. But none of those players has produced at the level of Devers, and while the hope for each of them is to become an All-Star-caliber player, Devers already is one. This move also gives Bregman and his agent, Scott Boras, tons of leverage this offseason. Bregman, currently on the injured list due to a right quad strain, is making $40 million in average annual value in 2025 and has an opt-out at the end of the season. If he chooses to exercise that opt out and go elsewhere, it would put the Red Sox in an extremely precarious position, without a superstar bat in their lineup. Did both the Red Sox and Devers make mistakes over the past five months? Absolutely. For Devers, he failed to realize the bad optics for him, especially after the Casas injury, despite his being considered a good teammate over the years. He also failed to realize that just because the Bloom regime promised him he'd stay at third, that didn't mean that Breslow and Co. wouldn't have different feelings. Advertisement But did this situation have to get to this point? No. Ultimately, the Red Sox's ostracizing and alienating their best player created a rift in the relationship that could never be repaired. This move will not be easily digestible for a fan base that has already seen a superstar in Betts traded to the Dodgers, and five years later, no player included in that deal is still with the organization. The patience in Boston was already thin, and trading Devers surely will only exacerbate the issue. As the Red Sox attempt to move forward, Breslow's legacy in Boston will be judged based on what he does following this megadeal. All eyes will be on him to see if he and the Red Sox can prove that this move was the right one for the franchise's future.
