THE GHOSTS OF CHAVEZ RAVINE: WHY THE CARDINALS’ NEW ACE COMES WITH A WARNING
ST. LOUIS, MO—The St. Louis Cardinals have officially made their first high-stakes gamble of the Chaim Bloom era. On December 17, 2025, the club finalized a one-year, $12.5 million contract with right-hander Dustin May, including a $20 million mutual option for 2027.
On paper, it looks like a textbook “Bloom move”: buy low on elite talent, provide a fresh environment, and reap the rewards of a front-line starter. But for those who followed May’s final chapters in Los Angeles and his brief, injury-marred stint in Boston, the move feels less like a strategic acquisition and more like a sequel to a movie the Dodgers have already seen—and didn’t like the ending of.
THE “HARD LESSON”: STUFF VS. SUSTAINABILITY
The Cardinals are betting on the “Big Red” of 2020—the pitcher who touched 100 mph and looked like a future Cy Young winner. However, the Dodgers moved on from May at the 2025 trade deadline for a reason. They had reached the “painful realization” that May’s elite physical tools were no longer translating to elite results.
- The Inconsistency Pattern: Despite throwing a career-high 132.1 innings in 2025 across the Dodgers and Red Sox, May finished with a career-worst 4.96 ERA.
- The “Vanishing” Velocity: After a 2024 esophageal tear that saw him lose 40 pounds, May’s sinker velocity dipped to 94.5 mph in 2025—a far cry from the triple-digit heat that once made him unhittable.
- The Injury Loop: His season ended not on a high note, but on the Injured List. Right elbow neuritis sidelined him in early September, preventing him from contributing to the Red Sox’s postseason push.
THE ST. LOUIS ROTATION: A HOUSE OF CARDS?
With Sonny Gray traded to Boston and Miles Mikolas entering free agency, the Cardinals’ rotation is suddenly dependent on a pitcher who hasn’t been “dominant” in three years.
| The Dustin May Profile | The Dodgers Legend | The 2025 Reality (LAD/BOS) |
| ERA | 2.93 (Pre-Injury Career) | 4.96 |
| Strikeout Rate | Elite Whiff Potential | 8.4 K/9 (Below league average) |
| WHIP | 1.05 | 1.42 |
| Durability | “The Future Ace” | 5th straight season with major IL time. |
“BELIEF VS. EVIDENCE”: THE CHAIM BLOOM GAMBLE
Cardinals President of Baseball Operations Chaim Bloom expressed excitement about May’s “championship experience.” However, league insiders are skeptical. One scout noted that the “warning signs” in Los Angeles—specifically May’s struggle to command his high-movement pitches—became impossible to ignore.
“In Los Angeles, they realized May was a pitcher of moments, not seasons,” a rival executive noted. “St. Louis is hoping the ‘change of scenery’ fix works, but the Dodgers and Red Sox both tried that. Sometimes, the pattern is just the player.”
WHAT’S AT STAKE
To make room for May, the Cardinals designated outfielder Matt Koperniak for assignment. If May can find his 2020 form, he is a steal at $12.5M. If the “elbow neuritis” from September lingers, the Cardinals will have spent a significant chunk of their limited budget on a lesson the Dodgers learned for free.
