The St. Louis Cardinals have already done the hard part of a reset under Chaim Bloom. Now comes the trickier part: knowing which names to keep off the trade block.
Bloom’s first major move as president of baseball operations was to strip the roster down, move veteran money, and reload the system. Nolan Arenado went to the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Sonny Gray and Willson Contreras landed with the Boston Red Sox. Brendan Donovan was dealt to the Seattle Mariners.
Even with all of that turnover, the Cardinals still won just one fewer game in 2026, and the organization heads into this offseason with a young roster that should be better in 2027 and one of the stronger farm systems in the sport.
That’s why the conversation around St. Louis should be about targeted additions, not another round of major sell-offs.
The bullpen and the back end of the rotation look like the areas to address. But as always, speculation is going to swirl, and not all of it deserves airtime.
Bleacher Report’s Zachary Rymer recently pointed to Alec Burleson and Masyn Winn as the Cardinals’ top trade assets.
"St. Louis Cardinals," Rymer wrote.
"Alec Burleson, Masyn Winn. What do you do with a guy when he's fresh off hitting 27 home runs and leading the majors in RBI?
If you're a contender, you keep Burleson. If you're a rebuilder like the Cardinals, you sell high now before free agency calls his name after the 2028 season.
Winn is more of a vexing case. He's elite defensively at shortstop, but he can't hit."
But St. Louis shouldn’t be shopping either one.
Burleson just put together a massive season, hitting 26 home runs and leading the league with 116 RBIs in 160 games. He’s become one of the more underrated first basemen in the game, and there’s no reason to move a player like that when he’s still under team control and fits the core.
Winn is a different kind of value, but the answer is the same. His 2026 offense wasn’t where anyone wanted it, though he wasn’t at full strength for part of the year.
Even so, his glove remained elite, and he should have taken home the Gold Glove Award at shortstop. He’s also only 24, which matters when you’re deciding whether to cash in or build around him.
There isn’t an obvious replacement waiting at shortstop, either. JJ Wetherholt could move over, but that would create a new question at second base. Jesus Baez might eventually change that equation when he’s ready for the majors, but that moment hasn’t arrived yet.
For now, the Cardinals have no reason to part with Winn or Burleson. Both are controlled, both matter, and both should be treated as core pieces rather than trade bait.
In Other News...
Cardinals Are Betting Their Young Core On One New Voice
The Cardinals have turned to Joel McKeithan as the new voice guiding their offense, a move that comes after Brant Browns dismissal and a search that included both internal and external options. McKeithan arrives with a background that includes time as an assistant hitting coach with the White Sox, along with experience in Cincinnati and at Driveline, giving St. Louis a blend of big-league and modern development perspective as it tries to get more out of its lineup.
For a club leaning on a young core, the hire matters because the Cardinals are not just looking for a fresh set of eyes, but a coach who can help shape how that group grows at the plate. McKeithans track record suggests a different voice and a different process, and now the real question is how quickly that approach takes hold once spring work begins. [Read more 🡒]
Cardinals May Have Quietly Helped Their Biggest Weakness
The Cardinals spent the early part of the offseason looking for ways to shore up a bullpen that was one of their biggest issues in 2026, and they may have found a low-cost answer in Eduardo Rivera. St. Louis acquired the right-hander from Boston in exchange for pitching prospect Juan Garcia, betting that Riveras mix of big-league exposure and Triple-A success can translate into a more reliable relief option next season.
Riveras first taste of the majors came in 2026, when he appeared in four games for the Red Sox and struggled to a 6.30 ERA. But his work at Triple-A Worcester was far more encouraging, and that split is exactly what makes this move interesting for the Cardinals: they are trying to buy upside without paying a premium, while giving themselves another arm to compete for a bullpen role in 2027. [Read more 🡒]
Cardinals Could Gamble On A Veteran Starter With Real Upside
The Cardinals are still weighing ways to add stability to the rotation this offseason, and Nick Pivetta has surfaced as a name worth watching. The veteran right-hander, now a free agent after his stint with the San Diego Padres, put together a strong 2025 before injuries interrupted his 2026 season and led San Diego to decline his contract option. For a St. Louis club looking for pitching help without giving up the flexibility of a long-term commitment, that kind of profile can be appealing.
Pivetta also fits the kind of calculated bet the Cardinals may be willing to make under Chaim Bloom, who knows the value of chasing upside when the price is reasonable. The appeal is obvious enough: if the health holds, there is still a track record suggesting he can help a staff in need of innings and quality starts. The question now is whether St. Louis sees enough upside to move quickly, or whether another team gets there first. [Read more 🡒]