The Cardinals’ search for stability at third base has already produced one internal name, but the buzz around a more proven option is getting louder by the day.
St. Louis may already have its third baseman of the future in Jesus Baez.
The young slugger put together a huge season in the minors in 2026, crushing 39 home runs and driving in 109 runs across 113 games. Even so, he never got above Double-A, which makes it a real long shot that he’d be in the Cardinals’ Opening Day mix in the majors.
Thomas Saggese and Blaze Jordan are also in-house possibilities, but the more intriguing external name is Alec Bohm.
That connection is not coming out of nowhere. Bohm, the one-time All-Star, is viewed as the best pending free agent third baseman on the market, and that alone has made him a logical fit for St.
Louis. The real hinge point is the kind of contract he finds.
If Bohm ends up in a short-term deal, the Cardinals start looking like a very natural destination.
Bleacher Report pushed that idea further in a recent roundup of league rumors, making the case that Bohm could wind up in St. Louis.
"With that decline in mind, one executive wondered whether Bohm 'may prefer to rebuild his value on a one-year 'prove-it' deal,' per MLB.com's Mark Feinsand. 'He will likely have multi-year offers that may be accompanied by lower [annual average values] than he would like, so it may boil down to what he's prioritizing.'
Bohm could be a candidate for relocation, since the Phillies may run short on infield openings with prospects on the rise and other, more powerful free agents perhaps holding their attention. ... Prediction: Bohm signs with the St.
Louis Cardinals."
Bleacher Report leaned on Feinsand’s reporting while laying out the case that Bohm might choose a shorter pact. Feinsand’s own column also pointed to the Cardinals as a possible landing spot.
The fit has been discussed elsewhere, too. Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported that the Cardinals are open to adding a short-term answer at third base.
And that’s why this rumor keeps taking on more steam. Bohm is only 30, and he could step into the lineup, help right away, and maybe even turn into a midseason trade chip.
But this still comes down to the market. If he draws more attention than expected and lands a bigger, multi-year contract, St.
Louis probably won’t be the destination. If the offers are shorter and the pitch is all about rebuilding value, the Cardinals suddenly look very much in play.
The offseason is still waiting to fully open up, with the World Series set to begin Friday and the real action set to follow a few weeks later. For now, Bohm is a name to watch.
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