The Cardinals have enough young talent to make the next few years worth watching, but one hole still stands out: third base. If St. Louis wants to push closer to contention in 2027, that’s the spot that could use a real jolt this winter.
That’s where Isaac Paredes comes in.
MLB.com’s Will Leitch floated the Astros infielder as a name St. Louis should have on its radar, writing, "Potential trade candidates include the Astros’ Isaac Paredes or the Yankees’ Ryan McMahon, though both have just one season left before free agency, and McMahon posted a .635 OPS this past season," Leitch wrote.
Paredes was already a major trade talking point last offseason, but Houston kept him. He’s now down to one more season of team control, yet he still looks like the kind of bat the Cardinals should at least explore.
He’s 27, can handle multiple infield spots, and just put together a strong 2026 season with 25 home runs, 94 RBIs and a .262/.360/.447 line over 155 games. He also finished with a 4.1 WAR.
The fit makes sense because the Astros still have a crowd in the infield, which is why Paredes was shopped in the first place. If Houston puts him back on the market, St.
Louis would be smart to get involved. The asking price should be manageable, and Paredes could hold down third base through the 2027 season before the Cardinals potentially turn the job over to Jesus Baez or even Rodriguez if either is ready.
St. Louis went 77-85 in 2026, but the roster is loaded with youth.
JJ Wetherholt, Jordan Walker, Leo Bernal, Joshua Baez and Masyn Winn give the club a promising core, while Kyle Leahy, Michael McGreevy and Andre Pallante offer some positives in the rotation. The farm system is strong too, with Liam Doyle, Rainiel Rodriguez and Jurrangelo Cijntje among the headliners.
The Cardinals also have reason to believe a bat like Paredes could give the lineup exactly what it lacked late last season. The 2026 team was solid, but it faded down the stretch, and another veteran slugger with 25-plus-homer pop would help.
A trade isn’t likely. Still, it’s the kind of move St. Louis should at least ask about.
In Other News...
Cardinals May Already Be Seeing The Lars Nootbaar Trade Pay Off
The Cardinals moved Lars Nootbaar to Arizona and brought back three pitching prospects, a deal that was always going to be judged by what came next rather than what it cost in the moment. Among the return, Daniel Eagan has already given St. Louis a reason to feel better about the exchange, with the 24-year-old right-hander showing noticeable improvement after the trade and finishing the second half with a 4.15 ERA while piling up strikeouts at a rate that stood out across the minors.
Eagans progress has carried into the offseason, too, as he took part in the Cardinals development program in Florida with an eye on adding velocity and sharpening his splitter. For a club that has spent plenty of time looking for more impact arms, that kind of early traction matters, especially when a trade built around a major-league outfielder starts producing encouraging signs from the pitching side before the dust has even settled. [Read more 🡒]
Cardinals Could Revisit A Familiar Rotation Gamble This Offseason
Casey Mize has spent much of his career trying to turn promise into consistency, and this winter could put him back on the open market as a former No. 1 overall pick with plenty of intrigue attached. For a Cardinals club that has been searching for ways to reshape its rotation without overcommitting long term, he fits the kind of low-risk, high-upside profile that often shows up in offseason conversations.
The appeal is obvious: Mize is still young enough to be viewed as a rebound candidate, and his background gives him a ceiling that teams are willing to bet on even after injuries and uneven results. A one-year deal has been floated as a reasonable path, which would let St. Louis take a swing without tying itself down, though the real question is whether the Cardinals decide this is the kind of gamble worth making when the market opens. [Read more 🡒]
Cardinals Rebuild Could Hinge On How Far Chaim Bloom Goes
Chaim Bloom has made a point of saying the Cardinals have to keep bringing in new perspectives if they want to stay competitive, and his first months on the job have backed that up. Since arriving in St. Louis, he has added several new staff members across baseball operations and coaching, while also keeping a good portion of the existing structure in place as the organization tries to balance continuity with change.
The next phase of that rebuild may be even more revealing. The Cardinals are expected to keep looking for ways to add fresh voices this offseason, with more possible movement in areas like analytics, medical support or baseball technology, and how far Bloom pushes those changes could say plenty about the direction he wants this franchise to take. [Read more 🡒]