Cards view 2026 as stepping stone toward next era of success

ST. LOUIS -- Staying at a downtown St. Louis hotel because of the proximity to Busch Stadium and the weekend’s Winter Warm-Up events, Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol had his concerns about fans’ reactions to the franchise’s first full-scale rebuild in decades put to rest early on Saturday morning.

"I look outside [the window] and over the balcony and there were huge lines coming out of the stadium, which was really cool,” Marmol said of fans who braved 20-degree temperatures and spitting snow to take part in the team’s fanfest activities. “It’s cool to see that there’s real excitement around our young group. And our young group needs to see that. I want them to experience what it’s like playing at Busch when it’s what we know it to be. So, to be able to wake up and see the people lined up, it was pretty damn cool.”

Marmol was right to have questions about how a Cardinals rebuild under new president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom would be received after the club traded veterans Sonny Gray, Willson Contreras and Nolan Arenado -- and got only six pitching prospects in return. All-Star infielder Brendan Donovan, lefty reliever JoJo Romero and outfielder Lars Nootbaar could be the next to go in the weeks before the start of Spring Training as the club works to shift its focus to building for a future it hopes will be brighter.

Bloom, who replaced John Mozeliak in early October, made the bold move to plunge the Cards into a full-scale rebuild after the club missed the playoffs each of the past three seasons. Relievers Ryne Stanek, Riley O’Brien and Nick Raquet are now the only players in their 30s, while Donovan and Romero are the only 29-year-old players on the 40-man roster.

In a baseball-obsessed city where successful seasons are usually remembered with championship banners that fly high over Busch Stadium, Bloom noted that success will be looked at through a different lens in 2026. Progress by the club’s bevy of young players will be the gauge for the season instead of where the Cardinals land in the NL Central standings, Bloom said.

"We aren’t prioritizing short-term success over what needs to happen in the long term, but my mindset is that you’re never going to stop trying to win and in some ways you’ll always assess where you are by the standings,” Bloom said. “That’s not going to change, but we can’t let that distract us from where we need to go.

"With respect to the biggest goals -- regardless of the standings and what the win total is -- you want to see the core take shape and progress. I want to be able to look up at the end of the 2026 season and feel like the picture of that group looks like … it’s further than where it was.”

Outfielder Jordan Walker, who is hoping to slim down to 260 pounds from the 267 he played at in 2025, marveled at how the dynamic of the Cards' clubhouse has changed in his short MLB career. Adam Wainwright, Paul Goldschmidt and Arenado were the unquestioned leaders three years ago, but now Walker -- who won’t turn 24 until May 22 -- finds himself as one of the team’s more experienced players.

“I’m definitely going to try and speak up more,” said Walker, who had his offseason workouts in Jupiter, Fla., interrupted by a recent bout with the flu. “The veterans always had a lot of knowledge and I wanted to listen. But, as a team, we’re all going to have to speak up. We’re going to have to learn that as we go along.”

Added prized left-handed prospect Liam Doyle, the No. 5 pick in the 2025 MLB Draft: “They’ve made it pretty clear to me that I’m a big piece of the puzzle and we’re looking to build for the future. This is too passionate of a fanbase and too good of a sports city to not be good for long. So, I’m looking to make a change [in the Cardinals’ fortunes] and hopefully this team will be on board with that, too.”

Marmol, who admitted that he has had preliminary talks with the Cardinals about a contract extension, stressed that it’s important for the organization to be patient in the season ahead, while also maintaining a high level of expectations.

"You have to stay really disciplined about what progress looks like and make sure each guy is taking steps every day,” he said. “Collectively, you put on the uniform and you’re trying to win every day. I don’t care what payroll is, and I don’t care if we’re young or not; if you put on the [uniform], you’re looking to beat whoever is across the way. Our group is going to do exactly that.”