It has become a dirty word in MLB in recent seasons. In fact, many people in the game jokingly — and privately — refer to it as the “forbidden word.”
The league discourages teams from using the word “rebuild” because of its negative connotations. MLB feels that admitting a team is rebuilding gives fans a reason to believe it isn't trying to win. As retired Commissioner Bud Selig used to say famously, fans of every team should have “hope and faith.”
So, it was refreshing when St. Louis Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol freely used the “r word” to describe what his organization is doing.
“It’s a rebuild,” Marmol said after I had suggested the Cardinals were retooling or resetting. “We’re rebuilding.”
Cardinals are making progress
They are making progress in their rebuild under first-year president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom. The Cardinals are 77-82 going into their final series of the season this weekend against the National League Central champion Brewers in Milwaukee.
While the Cardinals will have consecutive losing seasons for the first time since 1958 and 1959, rebuilding usually means a string of seasons with 90 or more losses. However, the Cardinals have a chance to beat their 2025 record of 78-84.
“That's irrelevant, in my opinion, Marmol said of the record. “I’m not saying don’t win as many games as you can, but you can win games without making progress in the areas you want to make progress in. What's more important is that we made real strides in the areas we were hoping to improve, and we learned a lot about what we have and what we don't.
“And in the process of developing our guys and making them better, we were also able to win more games than people thought, which makes 162 a little bit more fun.”
Some of the Cardinals’ internal projections at the start of the season had them finishing above .500. While that goal seemed more aspirational than attainable, it helps explain why the Cardinals are feeling good as they head home for the winter.
J.J. Wetherholt leads potential core
The Cardinals have the makings of a potentially dangerous young lineup that rookie second baseman JJ Wetherholt leads. He is just 23 and figures to finish second in the National League Rookie of the Year voting behind Cincinnati Reds first baseman Sal Stewart.
First baseman Alec Burleson and right fielder Jordan Walker have driven in at least 100 runs. Others who have either locked down everyday spots for 2027 or will be favored to win one in spring training include rookie catcher Leo Bernal, third baseman Thomas Saggese, shortstop Masyn Winn, left fielder Joshuas Baez, and center fielder Nathan Church.
The oldest player is Burleson, who is 27 and has risen to the challenge of becoming the Cardinals’ top run producer following the offseason trades of Nolan Arenado, Willson Contreras and Brendan Donovan.
“We have a ton of young guys that are outperforming expectations,” Marmol said. “None of these guys are at their ceilings. So there's that much more room to keep getting better. Then you also have a good understanding of where the holes are and how you want to fill those. So, this team is better because you have a bunch of young dudes who are going to get better and be here for a long time. And that's exciting.”
However, the Cardinals lag in pitching. Rookie left-hander Quinn Matthews and right-hander Michael McGreevey have upside but not that of a No. 1 starter. There is also a closer question as Riley O’Brien has imploded late in the season after being selected to the All-Star Game.
The veteran of the rotation is right-hander Andre Pallante. He is not exactly grizzled at 28 but is one of the team’s old heads now.
“One day right before the All-Star break, I was just looking at everyone in the clubhouse, and it hit me that I’m about the oldest guy on the team,” Pallante told Fansided with a smile. “It shows you how much this team has changed. I think we’re in a good spot, though. We have a lot of talented young players. I think we’re set up to be successful in the future. There is reason for excitement.”
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