The Cardinals are heading into a winter that could shape a lot more than just next season. For now, the biggest thing to remember is simple: St.
Louis is done playing for a long time, with the club not scheduled to be back in a regular season game until at least March of 2027. And even that isn’t a lock, with the collective bargaining agreement and the possibility of a lockout casting a long shadow over the sport.
That’s the backdrop. The actual work starts now.
For the Cardinals, the first layer of business is pretty thin on internal free agency. Ryne Stanek is the only player who looks like a real open-market case at the moment, and even that hinges on a $6 million club option that probably won’t be exercised. If the Cardinals choose to non-tender players, that pool could expand, but right now Stanek is the lone name to keep an eye on.
Where the pressure really builds is on the roster itself. The bullpen sits at the top of the needs list, and it’s easy to see why after being the club’s biggest weakness in 2026.
St. Louis also needs a veteran starter, and there’s at least some uncertainty at third base if the team doesn’t see Thomas Saggese, Blaze Jordan or Jesus Baez as the answer for 2027.
The starting pitching market offers a few names that fit the bill. Zac Gallen of the Arizona Diamondbacks stands out as a free agent option, while Spencer Strider of the Atlanta Braves is also in the conversation even though he won’t hit free agency.
There have been rumors that Atlanta could be willing to move him. Other free-agent arms worth monitoring include Jack Flaherty, Shane Bieber and Casey Mize.
In the bullpen, the Cardinals would have reason to look at AJ Minter, Andrew Kittredge or John Schreiber. If the club decides to address third base externally, Alec Bohm of the Philadelphia Phillies is the top target mentioned.
Trade talk, for now, is mostly on the back burner. That should change once the playoffs end and the offseason truly opens up, but the Cardinals already had conversations around Alec Burleson and Ivan Herrera before the deadline and ended up keeping both. The expectation is that the same approach should hold this winter.
There are also a couple of major personnel calls waiting on the Cardinals’ side. Matthew Liberatore is the biggest one.
He turned in the worst season of his career in 2026, which leaves the team with a choice: keep him in the rotation or move him to the bullpen. Nolan Gorman is another name to watch.
He remains under team control, but the results haven’t come together, and the question now is whether he’s already played his last game in a Cardinals uniform.
And then there’s the extension side of things. JJ Wetherholt already got his deal. Next up, the Cardinals should be thinking about Jordan Walker and Burleson.
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So the pressure lands on a much clearer need than a complete roster overhaul: pitching. With so many players still arbitration-eligible and the organization carrying over a young core, the Cardinals are expected to look for arms that can raise the floor next season and give the lineup more support. The challenge is less about finding volume than finding the right additions, because St. Louis has enough pieces to keep building but still needs the pitching help to make the jump back toward contention. [Read more 🡒]