As the leader of the project to restore the lost excellence of the St. Louis farm system and player-development expertise, Chaim Bloom has made his first hire, and it's a big one.

Bloom recruited Rob Cerfolio, age 32, from the Cleveland Guardians' front office. Cerfolio, who has the "rising star" reputation within the industry, will bring his skills to the St. Louis baseball operations. His title: Assistant general manager, overseeing player development and performance. During Cerfolio's seasons in Cleveland's front office (2015-2024) , the Guardians have the fourth-best winning percentage in the majors (regular season) and are rank sixth for the most postseason wins.

Because of a booming player-development system, the Guardians have won a lot more games than teams that spend a lot more money on payroll. This is a home-run hire by Bloom.