StonesJournal

The Cardinals have hit a metaphorical fork in the road on their journey back to competitiveness. Some of their promising talent at the lower levels requires immediate attention. What direction will the newly acquired President of Baseball Operations, Chaim Bloom, take?

Written By: AJ Stone (12/26/25)

Intro:

The Cardinals have long sought security and depth from their minor-league system—a characteristic their organization was once known for. The “Cardinal Way” revolves around developing homegrown talent, producing St. Louis legends, and propelling magical World Series runs in 2006 and 2011. However, player development declined during the final years of President John Mozeliak’s regime. Now, Chaim Bloom inherits a fading blueprint that may hold promise but is short on prospects. Certain names need urgent attention, which is the focus of this article.

1. Leonardo Bernal

Leonardo Bernal is in an unfair spot as MLB Pipeline’s 92nd-ranked prospect. The switch-hitting catcher brings strong plate discipline and offensive pop, paired with excellent defensive skills—his 35.2 percent caught-stealing rate led High-A qualifiers last season and has improved in Springfield. Despite Willson Contreras’s departure from the catcher position, Bernal did not get his chance, as Ivan Herrera’s bat, Jimmy Crooks’s advancement, and Pedro Pages’s steady backup presence kept him blocked. Recent signings add further crowding and suggest a rather unenthused approach to the young catchers’ development. Bernal’s talent is undeniable, but his opportunity remains limited. St. Louis’s usual practice of stashing prospects like Bernal risks devaluing them; as he ages, expectations grow heavier. Moving Bernal this offseason for MLB-ready talent or a prospect swap could benefit both sides.

2. Nathan Church

The Cardinals’ number 14 prospect was able to notch an MLB debut in 2025, but didn’t find much success in his big league cup of coffee. Church is the exact kind of player the Mozeliak administration valued far too highly. His floor is very high due to his immaculate defense in centerfield and speed on the bases. Unfortunately, he has yet to show any offensive promise, and his presence on the roster is somewhat redundant. Victor Scott II already has a place on this team as a defensively imposing presence that could nab you 50 steals in a full 162-game season. Pedro Pages might not possess the speed that either of these two holds, but he remains a defensive specialist behind the dish. Meanwhile, Nolan Arenado may be on his way out of town, but at this point in his career, he has also conformed to the ways of a defense-first player at the hot corner. Church doesn’t slot in well on a team that lacks offensive prowess, even though I do see a big-league future on his horizon. Competitive teams looking to add depth to their rosters or a young elite defender to their bench would be all over Church if he were to be made available this offseason. When it comes to how he fits into a roster currently, I like to think about Myles Straw and if he were only 25 and had an outside shot to mature as a hitter. Any front office would love to have Church on its bench. The problem is, the Cardinals have 4 Nathan Churches.

3. Ixan Henderson

Ixan Henderson, currently the Cardinals’ #15 prospect, just finished a stellar 2025 season with a 2.59 ERA over 132 AA innings. The only concern is that he’s 23. St. Louis, having added many young pitchers through trades, has a crowded pitching group. Retaining older prospects can be counterproductive. Henderson’s market value is high; trading him to a team that can offer big-league innings in 2026 benefits all parties. If the Cardinals want to hold on to the southpaw, 2026 should be full of major-league innings and learning curves to continue the natural progression of his development.

4. Tink Hence

A once provocative name amongst the lower-level ranks of Cardinal prospects, Tink Hence has hit a wall. It makes sense that the Cardinals might be hesitant to move on from him, as he has done nothing but dominate the minor leagues when healthy. That’s the catch: he can’t stay healthy. Over a massive sample size of 257.1 innings, the right-hander has amounted to a measly 3.25 ERA and racks up strikeouts at a high rate. Scouts have deemed that the road to success for Hence may reside in the bullpen, as he has yet to throw 100 innings in a season. The Cardinals have plenty of other intriguing arms at this point and no longer need a player whose entire career has been a question mark to this point. The only thing you can’t question when it comes to Hence is the arm talent. It’s real, and it could definitely play at the highest level. The Cardinals don’t necessarily need to move on from Tink Hence, but revisiting his role in the organization and how he can be productive at the big-league level is a must. 2026 should be a campaign where opportunity should be in abundance.

5. Quinn Matthews

Quinn Matthews burst onto the scene with a 2024 season that included: 143.1 cumulative innings, a 2.76 ERA, a 0.98 WHIP, and 202 strikeouts. An absurd introductory season for the young southpaw that now has him slotted in as the Cardinals’ #5 prospect. The situation with Matthews isn’t anything dire. He dealt with injuries in 2025 and also struggled to stay in the strikezone. This led to inflated numbers across the board. It’s safe to say that the injuries Matthews dealt with directly impeded his performance, but the Cardinals don’t have time in his case to wait around. In terms of prospect pedigree, he’s elite, but as an asset, he’s dwindling. Matthews is already 25 years old and needs to see a real opportunity in 2026 before his career passes him by. I don’t think it’s in the Cardinals’ best interest to trade Matthews, but if his Spring Training is successful, it would be a good idea to reserve a roster spot for him to kick things off in 2026.

Conclusion: 

The Cardinals have maximized on expiring contracts for a few years now, and it’s led to a surplus of prospects with high pedigree. St. Louis is no longer as desperate as they once was for depth, and it can be used as liberation to make the tough decision. I, for one, am excited to see how Chaim Bloom approaches these five players going forward.