The Cardinals may not have been the loudest team at the trade deadline, but they still did enough to reshape part of the roster while the rebuild continues to take form. St. Louis sent out veterans Dustin May, JoJo Romero and Lars Nootbaar, adding to the farm system as the club works toward being a true contender again in a year or two.
One name that stayed put, though, was closer Riley O'Brien. The Cardinals held onto the 31-year-old despite plenty of trade chatter, and the buzz around him could easily return this winter. O’Brien turned in a 4.08 ERA with 64 strikeouts in 66 appearances, earned his first All-Star nod and tied for the National League lead with 38 saves.
Former Cardinals pitcher Kyle Gibson thinks that kind of season could make O’Brien a tempting chip. Speaking on the Cardinal Territory podcast, Gibson pointed to how the market changes once the offseason arrives.
"I think you're going to see some bullpen turnover probably," Gibson said on Monday. "You know, I think it's probably the most fluctuating spot on a roster.
And this isn't just guys in the big leagues, right? There's gonna be guys who, you know, have never debuted, possibly that are on the 40-man, that will, you know, not be with the team, whether it's DFA or trade.
"But, I don't know necessarily which guys out there in the bullpen, but, you know, I think (Ryne) Stanek was good for the bullpen by all accounts. You're gonna have to have some veteran leadership down there.
It'll be interesting if they use this offseason to maybe trade O'Brien. All 29 other teams are kind of in the mix right now, where at the deadline, you only got the playoff teams.
So he has just as much value now as he did at the deadline."
Even with that logic, a deal would still come as a surprise. O’Brien just finished his first season handling the closer role, and he delivered.
The second half wasn’t quite as sharp, but he still gave St. Louis steady work out of the bullpen.
That’s the other piece here: the Cardinals’ bullpen remains a soft spot, and moving one of its most reliable arms would leave a hole without any guaranteed payoff in return. On top of that, O’Brien is under contract through the 2030 season, which only adds to the case for keeping him around.
In Other News...
Albert Pujols Suddenly Feels Closer To A Surprising Managerial Opening
The Angels decision to decline Kurt Suzukis option for 2027 has opened up a managerial search that already feels like it could have a St. Louis flavor to it. John Mozeliak is serving as the interim general manager in Los Angeles, and one of the first names expected to come up is Albert Pujols, whose post-playing rsum already includes managing in the Dominican Winter League and the World Baseball Classic.
There is also another Cardinals connection in the mix. Randy Flores, St. Louis assistant general manager, is viewed as a candidate for the Angels front-office job, which only adds to the possibility that this search could wind up circling back to familiar names for Cardinals fans. Pujols has been considered for other managerial openings before, and with the Angels now under Stan Kroenkes ownership, the tie to St. Louis sports makes this one feel a little less far-fetched than it might have a few months ago. [Read more 🡒]
Cardinals Could Be Near A Tough Nolan Gorman Decision
Nolan Gormans future is one of the more interesting decisions sitting in the Cardinals offseason pile, because the club can keep him around without committing major money, but it also has to weigh whether the fit still makes sense. Since 2023, he has hit below .205, and his .184 average in 2026 only sharpened the questions around a player who once looked like a long-term piece in St. Louis.
The Cardinals also have internal options at third base, which gives them some flexibility if they decide the roster is better served by moving on. Gorman still has two years of team control left, and his arbitration salary is projected around $3.4 million, so tendering him a contract would not be a major financial burden. Even so, the more likely path may be to keep the door open while exploring trade possibilities this winter, leaving the club with a decision that is practical on paper but tougher in reality. [Read more 🡒]
Cardinals May Revisit Familiar Red Sox Trade Path For Rotation Help
The Cardinals are already looking ahead to 2027, and the rotation picture still feels unfinished enough that another starter is expected to be on the shopping list. Kyle Leahy, Andre Pallante, Michael McGreevy, Quinn Mathews and Matthew Liberatore are part of the current mix, while prospects such as Liam Doyle, Tanner Franklin and Jurrangelo Cijntje could also factor in, but the organization appears likely to keep searching for more certainty at the front of the staff.
One familiar path would lead back to Boston, where the Red Sox have pitchers who fit the kind of trade conversation St. Louis has entered before. Tanner Houck and Kutter Crawford both stand out as possible targets because of the Cardinals history with the Red Sox and the way their contract situations and health status shape the market. If St. Louis does revisit that route, the decision may come down to whether the club prefers a more established arm or a bet on availability and upside. [Read more 🡒]