photo: Rob Cerfolio, Chaim Bloom (Brian Walton/The Cardinal Nation)
Brian Walton’s photos of St. Louis Cardinals Assistant General Manager, Player Development and Performance Rob Cerfolio on the job.
Dealin’ the Cards podcast had a special guest this week, Rob Cerfolio. The St. Louis Cardinals Assistant General Manager, Player Development and Performance went into detail about his background and how he blends that experience with the skills of many others in his new assignment.
A key message that resonated with me is one that seems so simple and basic but takes serious and sustained effort to execute. That is two-way communication – upward, downward and most importantly to develop a bought-in action plan with every player.
For there, I thought back to this spring. As regular readers of The Cardinal Nation know, I was an interested daily observer from early camp in January through STEP Camp and regular minor league spring training camp in March.
I found it fascinating to watch the new staffers, new coaches and new executives interacting with returning coaches, including some who seemed re-energized. All were there to assist dozens of players – as many of these in-uniform individuals were working together for the first time.
Over the weeks, I took the following photos of Cerfolio in action. While they originally trickled out over time via my daily camp reports from Jupiter, I am pulling them together here as they reinforce Cerfolio embracing the people part of his mission.
Again, make sure you watch or listen to Cerfolio’s interview with Josh Jacobs and Andrew Wang of Dealin’ the Cards.
Assistant GM Rob Cerfolio has been at the forefront of the changes coming to the Cardinals' development system this season. We were lucky enough to chat with him on our latest episode, available now! #STLCards
Video: https://t.co/i96lA4HCy6
Audio: https://t.co/yMMvvAFOYX pic.twitter.com/bg4NxUyhIn
— Dealin' the Cards (@DealinTheCards) May 28, 2025
I had the opportunity to sit down with Cerfolio for the first time in January during 2025 Winter Warm-Up in St. Louis. From there, I returned to Florida.
Interview: New Cardinals AGM of Player Development and Performance Rob Cerfolio
Also, while there, Cerfolio participated in a fan Question and Answer session with the other two AGMs, Randy Flores (scouting) and Moises Rodriguez (international).
Here, Cerfolio chats with outfield prospect Won-Bin Cho.
As top pitching prospect Quinn Mathews finished his workout, the boss offered a fist bump of encouragement.
It isn’t just about minor leaguers. Here, Cerfolio chats with St. Louis star Brendan Donovan, who was getting some work in on the back fields.
The scouting community is the life blood of every successful organization. Cardinals scout Aaron Klinec offers his observations to Cerfolio.
In the referenced podcast, Cerfolio shares details of his family history as it relates to the field of medicine. Fans certainly understand the “Player Development” part of his title, but many may not realize the importance of the “and Performance” aspect of his job and how it all needs to work together.
Heading the Performance function as its director is Carl Kochan, most recently with the Dodgers. This includes medical, trainers, strength and conditioning and more.
Another key addition to the organization from Cleveland is Cerfolio’s right hand man, Director of Player Development Larry Day. With his back to us in this photo is the organization’s most important link to the Herzog and La Russa years, Fundamentals Coordinator Jose Oquendo.
Other top staffers in Cerfolio’s organization include new Director of Pitching Matt Pierpont (Mariners), new Field Coordinator Ryan Barba (Angels) and Hitting Coordinator Russ Steinhorn (returnee).
In closing, I cannot leave out the person most responsible for Cerfolio’s hiring, his boss, Chaim Bloom. While officially the Advisor to the President of Baseball Operations, Bloom is well into his second-year mission to revitalize player development and performance. His in-the-background mode will flip 180 degrees following this season as he steps into the spotlights as President of Baseball Operations, succeeding John Mozeliak.
During the Spring Breakout prospect showcase game in the main stadium on March 14, the two, Bloom and Cerfolio, sat side-by-side.
You will notice in the back fields photos that Cerfolio is “dressed out” instead of wearing a polo shirt and khakis. Same with the farm director Day, who seemingly always has a fungo bat in hand. This sends a subtle message of unity and commitment to the players and coaches alike.
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