John Mozeliak will hand over control of the St. Louis Cardinals front office to Chaim Bloom this winter, but why wait that long? Mozeliak's final trade deadline was decent enough. He was able to trade away some veterans – such as closer Ryan Helsley – for prospect capital. He also failed to deal Nolan Arenado, Miles Mikolas, Sonny Gray and more. It's always a mixed back with this guy.
That being said, the Cardinals do owe Mozeliak...something. They won a World Series and two National League pennants under his watch, after all. Mozeliak doesn't have the eye for talent that he once did, or perhaps those under him do not. We'll find out soon once Bloom takes over and has to deal with many of the same constraints Mozeliak did. Yet, what does this mean for Mo's future in baseball? Will he remain in St. Louis, or take on a new challenge?
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If John Mozeliak wants a new challenge, this should be his final Cardinals series
The Cardinals face the Colorado Rockies early this week. It's a series they should win, and likely won't catch the attention of national beat writers. But for Mozeliak, this could be his ticket out of town, should he wish. Mozeliak started his career with the Rockies scouting department. Eventually, he was hired away by the Cardinals to run their scouting department, but he's never forgotten where he came from.
The Rockies are a mess. They're 30-88 on the season and could set the record for most losses in a single campaign. Colorado's current general manager is Bill Schmidt, but it's unclear how much longer that will last. Schmidt fired manager Bud Black earlier this season, making Black the fall guy. Assuming the Rockies don't magically turn things around at the end of this season, bringing Mozeliak in to oversee operations isn't a bad idea.
Cardinals could dump John Mozeliak after Rockies series
The plan was for Mozeliak to finish out this season leading the Cardinals front office, making for a seamless transition this offseason. However, what more could Bloom possibly have to learn? He's been in the organization for over a year and has held Mozeliak's position before. If Bloom were to take over now, he could also help the Cardinals save money. If St. Louis falls out of contention, he can place any veterans who aren't part of his long-term vision on waivers. There's no guarantee another team claims those players, but it can't hurt to try.
Leaving now isn't a bad idea for Mozeliak, either. The Rockies are a dumpster fire. If he were interested in returning where it all began, Mo would need as much time as possible to turn this franchise around. They are a long, long ways away from competing.
It's a long shot – and by most accounts the Cardinals will follow their protocol – but everything should be on the table.