The St. Louis Cardinals have officially entrusted Chaim Bloom with control of the team, setting the stage for a series of difficult decisions in the near future.
However, there are a few moves that should be no-brainers for the organization.
According to Redbird Rants’ Josh Jacobs, one such move is parting ways with veteran pitcher Miles Mikolas, who is expected to enter free agency this offseason.
“This won’t come as a shocker to anyone, but Miles Mikolas won’t be returning to the Cardinals in 2026 under Chaim Bloom’s leadership. Now, I do want to walk you down a path I considered recently…the idea that a reunion with Mikolas could actually be in the cards…but then confirm why I believe that will not happen,” Jacobs wrote. “For a while now, it’s been debatable at best as to whether or not Sonny Gray would want to leave St. Louis. Now that he’s made that intention known, the Cardinals’ rotation options are getting really thin.
“I won’t lie to you, even as I write them, I can see the world where the Cardinals bring back Mikolas on that cheap deal while also targeting a reclamation project arm, because honestly, they likely need multiple veteran arms to get them through next year. But for now, let’s say Mikolas is done with the Cardinals.”
There might be a world where Mikolas signs a veteran minimum minor league deal with the Cardinals to stay with the organization that he’s always been with, but that’s not the most likely outcome.
The Cardinals need to cut ties with him. He’s been one of the worst pitchers in baseball for a few years and there’s been no signs of life since his All-Star campaign in 2022. Mikolas has been making around $20 million a year for the last few seasons, too.
At the end of the day, this is one of the least difficult decisions Bloom will be forced to make. In fact, he’s likely known what the verdict was on Mikolas since April.
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