The St. Louis Cardinals have had an awfully quiet offseason. At the major-league level, they haven't traded for anyone. They haven't signed a current big-league free agent. And even though John Mozeliak said the team would likely take a "step back" in 2025, he now speaks of a team that possibly will can be an entertaining and winning side that exceeds expectations.

And because of that -- with Mozeliak putting one foot in and keep the other foot out -- the Cardinals refuse to trade pending free-agent pitchers Ryan Helsley and Erick Fedde (and to a lesser point, Steven Matz.) When teams enter a soft rebuild -- not a complete teardown -- it makes sense to trade assets who are headed to free agency. But Mozeliak hasn't done that either.

The question: what would Chaim Bloom do if he was running the baseball operation this offseason instead of Mozeliak? What would be different? And how much would it be different? Or would it be different at all? It doesn't matter because Bloom is busy with the project of rebuilding the minor-league infrastructure and restoring the outdated STL player-development system. It is an important assignment.

Still, I wonder.

If he had Mozeliak's job right now, what would Chaim do?