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Even if the Cardinals are running a negative operating profit currently, and that is a big if, what about the 20+ years in a row where they had in excess of 3M attendance? I would imagine the profits were flowing freely those two decades. Any smart business person would have set aside some of those profits in reserve so they really don’t need to be crying poor now.
My earlier quote:
“Recall that halfway through the 2025 season, Derrick Goold told us that based upon his information from Mo, Bloom, and the front office, the club planned to invest little or nothing in free agents. (And I don’t think anyone here expects the club to add payroll via trade.)”And there was this response:
“Yes, I recall that, however, in the past few weeks, Bloom indicated the Cardinals would be spending at 2025 levels. If that is the case, the Cardinals have $38 million for free agency, and if they trade Nootbaar, Donovan and Romero, that would free up another $15 million.”
If Bloom said that, I believe he’s a big fat liar, plain & simple. But the question is, does anybody have a link to a direct quote from Bloom — or anyone in the organization, or any respected journalist — to indicate that the Cards are planning to spend (on the 26-man roster) at 2025 levels in 2026? Thanks in advance!
I don’t remember exact quotes, but I thought the suggestion was that payroll would respond to revenue/attendance. There is also the potential for work stoppage/lockout/new CBA looming.
I don’t see a chance in the world that the Cards payroll is up to 2025 level if they shed even more money by trading Arenado (which is almost a certainty) and Contreras (which is probably less likely than not, but still possible). I expect salary commitments to be around $100M at most.
At the season-ending press conference, which granted, was two months ago, BDW Jr. said he was unsure of payroll for 2026. That was likely a fib, as every business of that size has projections for income and expense. My guess is he didn’t want to deliver what would be perceived as bad news.
“Up to 2025 level”
What’s your starting point? From right now? After winter trades? Opening day 25′ to 26′?
If they clear out Contreras and Nado before opening day, the deadline has less effect on the EOY difference during the season. If they can’t, then it pads the opening day books until the deadline, or EOY.
Not to be rude, but this IS throwing darts at a moving target with no idea what’s next.
I’m comparing opening day 2025 payroll to whatever payroll we end up at for 2026. The Cards will spend nowhere near as much on the team next year as they did this year, which is down from 2024. Payroll was at about 2013 levels last year and will be more like 2006 levels this year.
Re: 25′ opening day, to 26′ opening day.
Fast forwarding the two plus months more of current transactions, how much does Bill backfill up to 2025’s 138mil opening day, or beyond? 😜
It hit 125mil when i threw my dart, but that’s based on both Central divisions spending in 25′, which may change this winter too.
When we get to 2026 opening day, I wonder if league spends to the totals it did for 2025 opening day. Another dart, plz.
What was spent last year got us not quite .500 and no postseason. It won’t bother me if they don’t do that again. Once the pipeline is producing difference makers is when spending money is worth it.
One of the many Gray trade articles I read reported Bill viewed the 5mil cash w/Gray, added beyond his internal backloading of the contract, was to be viewed as from the 2026 budget.
A fan might say Bill reclaimed 20mil. Bill sees spending 5mil of his backfill amount. If that report is correct….
I’m not worried about the darts so much. I’m just saying that the team payroll will not reach even last year’s level, and fans shouldn’t get their hopes up that it will. Short term, cheap free agents (Miles Mikolas with a tiny bit more upside) or trade acquisitions will be the low hanging fruit.
Now, if all this dry powder eventually gets used, it will be all forgiven. If we have to watch as an otherwise contending team is harpooned by refusal to spend in 3 or 4 years, then we can expect extra vitriol from the fan base.
I understand the rebuild, and stocking up the farm. BUT for the 10,000th time, they do not have to suck/tank/lose fans/lose revenue/drain winning moral to rebuild.
Trying to be a 81-81 team is not the same as 62-100 and it WILL give people a reason to come out or tune in when July, Aug, Sept roll around. It will pay for itself to at least get back to 130M! Two things can happen at once.
People defending this nonsense, are….. FRUSTRATING since I won’t say what I want to say.
I’m not sure who is really defending it. I think some fans are living in the reality that Dewitt and Bloom have telegraphed what they are going to do, and we should expect that will happen. We were told that they won’t cut corners to getting back to contention. That means austerity and, by design, lack of contention in 2026. It remains to be seen if spending will eventually go back up or if we should expect to have Cleveland limitations going forward.
The backfill amount can be put to work in 2026 by acquirings rentals to deadline flip, like many clubs do, but that’s a choice to return to previous budget levels. Re-investing budget dollars for a possible return brings the Fedde risk too.
Bill supported the rebuild financially in the Gray trade but he has also avoided options on Lynn, Gibson, etc. as future chips. His budget “buy in” on the rebuild is a key, but it’s very conservative and financially limited.
Trading Nado w/out taking back a salary is a tough sell for me and they’re not going the DFA route. A compromise adds budget back in 26′ thru a mutual dump. I hope they don’t bundle talent w/Nado just move him.
CFICT said:
Trying to be a 81-81 team is not the same as 62-100 and it WILL give people a reason to come out or tune in when July, Aug, Sept roll around.
The team has been in contention for a .500 record the last two seasons* and people did NOT come out in the second half. After three down years, why would another .500-contending team energize anyone?
* As late as August 15, the 2025 Cardinals were .500 (61-61). The three previous games, they averaged less than 21,000 paid, with many fewer actually in the seats at Busch.
P.S. I am not suggesting they will be trying to win just 62. They are not saying that, either. The way I see it, they are going to try to win 81 (or some internal target number) with some different, likely less expensive players. How it actually shakes out is anyone’s guess. There are different ways to win.
They are at $97 right now, let’s say they save $10 on Arenado and $10 total from Jojo and Donnie, then $18 on Contreras. That puts them at a whopping $59M and it was around $170 not so long ago.
They can add projects with at least a little hope, for a year or two, flipable bargains that could pan out or they could magically be in the hunt while multitasking, a word Mo didn’t know of, while building up the farm. A $59M payroll is VERY FAR from acceptable.
Guys like Ponce who would have helped immensely, another acceptable starter (May type), a RFer above -1.7 WAR and BP pieces that would still keep them right around $100 or so (which is still not acceptable).
I get the rebuild shenanigans, I truly do, but that does not mean they have to lose 100 and be this ridiculous.I pray they get a #6 or higher pick in the draft so they don’t purposely try to compete with the White Sox and Rockies “records”.
I think blingboy said it right, lets wait til the farm starts producing some really good talent, by draft and possible trades. Then we can spend money to put players around it. Whether the team wins 80 or 60 games means nothing to me. In fact i could argue if they get close enough that they actually snag a last wild card spot, it would do more harm than good. If we were talking about some other teams, getting that might be an accomplishment. For the cardinals that is a no. Get the whole organization back the right way then things will naturally be better.
I understand the rebuild, and stocking up the farm. BUT for the 10,000th time, they do not have to suck/tank/lose fans/lose revenue/drain winning moral to rebuild.
Trying to be a 81-81 team is not the same as 62-100 and it WILL give people a reason to come out or tune in when July, Aug, Sept roll around. It will pay for itself to at least get back to 130M! Two things can happen at once.
People defending this nonsense, are….. FRUSTRATING since I won’t say what I want to say.
This is what I have been saying as well. Rebuilding and tanking are not the same thing. I have no problem with emphasizing youth and rebuilding the farm but that can be done without tearing everthing down to the foundation.
Building a foundation happens four different ways and Bloom will address each. The uncommitted money will be spent on players who Bloom and other decision makers see as foundational.
If a free agent market moves into their comfort zone, money will be spent. If a trade partner offers a foundational piece, capital will be spent.
If those opportunities don’t arise, they will continue to focus on player development and collecting value from marginal investments.
We shouldn’t even concern ourselves with payroll because the variables are unknown both to Bloom and ourselves.“Tearing everything down to the foundation” or “tanking” or aiming for 62 wins are variations of an extreme point of view that I don’t recall seeing anyone advocate here. Maybe I missed it, though. Most importantly, it is NOT what the Cardinals say they are doing.
Instead, the disagreement among posters seem to be in how many and which players are traded away, how aggressive the Cards should be in pursuing free agents and what their payroll will be. Or did I miss something?
I think BDW/Bloom will be interested in trades where we get projectable talent that is younger and cheaper than what we would give up. Fresh meat for the new PD system to try to build a productive pipeline and future roster. The effect such trades would have on the present roster would not be the determining factor. This spring Bloom can pick up low hanging fruit types as needed to fill any holes that result.
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