That is how I view it jnevel. The 3rd Wild Card is not THE goal but if you can get it and still accomplish your rebuilding objectives then why not do both? The question is will tearing it all the way down help you rebuild faster? I am not convinced the answer to that is yes. In theory it could be if all of your trades bring back players who end up being highly productive big leaguers but what if they don’t? Then you are just the Pirates.
You also have to consider attendance and revenue. A complete teardown will just prolong the fans staying away from the stadium. There are no easy answers but I think the Cardinals should be able keep a competitive team on the field while rebuilding through attrition instead of going all the way down to a 60 win team.