John Denton of MLB.com reports that the Cardinals have made some additions in the front office. Joe Douglas has been appointed specialist acquisitions director. Jacob Buffa will serve as senior director of international scouting. Denton added that president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom has made increasing the scouting department a priority this offseason.
Douglas has spent the past eight years with the Pirates organization. According to Denton, he will work under assistant general manager and scouting director Randy Flores.
Buffa has been with Houston for nearly seven years. He has served as senior director of player development and performance sciences for the past two seasons. According to Denton, Buffa will report to assistant general manager and international scout Moises Rodriguez.
Bloom is entering his first offseason at the helm of the Cardinals. He spent several seasons with the team in preparation for replacing John Mozeliak. Bloom said he likes the current management structure and doesn’t foresee widespread changes. “I have a lot of respect for people who have been here,” Bloom told Denton.”I am willing, hoping and expecting [that] Our seniors will be with us moving forward. I do anticipate that we will add some personnel to the front office team“.
New members of the front office are trying to turn around a team that has missed the playoffs the past three years. St. Louis hasn’t won a playoff series since 2019. The organization has done a solid job of adding and developing impact prospects this season. The Cardinals’ farm system improved from No. 20 to No. 12 in MLB.com’s midseason rankings update. left handed Liam Doyle He was the fifth overall pick in the most recent draft and immediately became a top player in the system. shortstop JJ WeatherholtA first-round pick in 2024, he’s been outstanding in his first full season as a pro.
