Cardinals Reportedly Could Be Headed For 'Complete, Multi-Year Rebuild', Per Insider

St. Louis could tear it all down this winter

Sep 3, 2024; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; St. Louis Cardinals third base Nolan Arenado (28) smashes his bat after grounding out against the Milwaukee Brewers in the eighth inning at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Michael McLoone-Imagn Images / Michael McLoone-Imagn Images

The St. Louis Cardinals recently announced their plans to deprioritize the big-league roster to catch up with the rest of the league's advanced player development systems.

The Cardinals have a No. 19 ranked farm system, which is a considerably low ranking considering how acclaimed St. Louis' player development system used to be.

With the organization committed to rebuilding the franchise from the ground up, many Cardinals fans are wondering how long it'll take for their beloved team to return to being a dominant force in the National League Central. Unfortunately, one insider believes it could take a while.

"(Nolan) Arenado committed to the Cardinals long-term by declining an opt-out in his contract following the 2022 season," MLB.com's John Denton wrote Monday. "Meanwhile, (Sonny) Gray signed with the club last winter because he craved playing for a franchise that has been a perennial contender for decades. Trading either or both would signal a complete, multi-year rebuild is coming to St. Louis."

Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak has already deemed this new era for St. Louis a 'reset' and declared that the front office won't focus on building the most competitive roster possible.

With Gray and Arenado's hopes of winning a World Series with the Cardinals fading, it wouldn't be surprising to see either veteran request a trade this winter.

As Denton said, if either St. Louis All-Star is traded, Cardinals fans can have a better idea of how long it'll take for their team to be a serious contender again -- several years. Hopefully, the younger wave of talent will exceed expectations, lessening the duration of a painful rebuild.

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