John Mozeliak's future with the Cardinals in question now more than ever

The St. Louis Cardinals are in a bit of a tough spot. On one hand, they have a potential future Hall of Famer in Paul Goldschmidt on their just a couple of years removed from his MVP-winning season. On the other hand, he showed signs of regression in 2023, and has had his worst season to date in 2024.

Goldschmidt is 36 years old. He'll be 37 in September. He's set to hit free agency at the end of the year. Do the Cardinals entertain bringing him back? Goldschmidt can be a productive player in a platoon role, but his .635 OPS against righties this season has left a lot to be desired. Free agents such as Christian Walker and Pete Alonso will be available. The Cardinals can even move Alec Burleson to first base full-time.

The question from a Cardinals lens isn't only whether Goldschmidt should return. One worth asking is will John Mozeliak be the one to make that decision. FanSided MLB insider Robert Murray gave some insight into Mozeliak's future with the Cardinals on the latest episode of the "The Baseball Insiders" podcast.

How much longer does John Mozeliak have with the Cardinals?

"My guess is that it's Mozeliak until his contract is up," said Murray. "I don't know exactly when it's up, but my guess is that it's Mozeliak until his contract is up and then it could be a guy like Chaim Bloom taking over."

The Cardinals made an intriguing hire this past offseason, bringing Chaim Bloom aboard to be a special advisor to Mozeliak. Bloom had recently been fired by the Boston Red Sox and was set to bring a new voice to a front office that has been led by Mozeliak for almost two decades.

"When they hired Chaim Bloom and put him in that front office, it kind of felt like he was going to be the leader in waiting at least until Mozeliak was done," says Murray.

Ever since news broke that Bloom was headed to St. Louis, it has felt as if he was next in line for when Mozeliak's tenure was over in St. Louis, according to Murray. It sounds like Mozeliak won't be fired, but whenever his contract is up, the Cardinals might already have their next front office decision-maker.

This makes a ton of sense. Simply put, it feels like Mozeliak's time in St. Louis has just run its course. If the Cardinals miss the postseason for a second straight year, and that's more than likely as of this writing, what's the argument for Mozeliak staying put? The team signed a slew of free agents, made a win-now deal at the deadline, and still fell short?

To sum up, with Bloom, an established executive, looming, Mozeliak's Cardinals future is in as much doubt as it has ever been. How long his contract is isn't something Murray knows, but having an easy successor already locked in makes Mozeliak's job security appear very thin.