The St. Louis Cardinals have not won a World Series title since 2011 and have not been to the World Series since 2013. However, they are making a lot of progress and will soon be on the right track.

Firstly though, they have to get through their rebuild. It may not last too long, but that is still where things currently stand. Chaim Bloom has still been honest about the state of affairs and has said that the Cardinals still are not quite where they need to be.

When asked about the timeline to return to contention, Bloom shared a blunt message about possibly contending sooner since St. Louis was in wild card contention for much of the season.

"I am pleased with a lot of the things that we've done," Bloom said. “We just need to do a hell of a lot more things to get where we want to go. The World Series is [happening]. We're not in it. And it's not because, ‘Hey, we got unlucky.’ We're not in it because we're just not there yet. So we have to do a lot more.”

Cardinals aren't done rebuilding yet

The Cardinals still haven't cleared several hurdles, and Bloom wants to make sure fans understand that this is going to take some time. There are still tough decisions that need to be made.

"There’s a temptation to say, ‘We’ve done the hard part’ by starting to build the foundation. "But the hard part is just starting. This is a hard game. The competition never ends. We can't stop focusing on those fundamental things that make good organizations. Over time, sure, that can include some things that are more, quote unquote, ‘win now.’ But we can never neglect that foundation, because ultimately, again, just point to the two teams in the World Series."

The Cardinals are following the right path and could be out of their rebuild in a few years, but 2027 is likely not going to be the year in which they emerge from it. They are a well-run organization, but Bloom has made clear that he does not want to rush this rebuild.

Instead, he hopes to get the most out of this process and ultimately build a sustainable contender without making short-term fixes to problems. The Cardinals can't afford to jump the gun here, and the fact that Bloom is sticking to the plan should be an encouraging sign.