The Cardinals’ 77-85 finish in 2026 told the story again: promise was there, but the gap between encouraging growth and real contention never fully closed. St. Louis missed the playoffs for the fourth straight season, dropped one win from its 78-84 mark in 2025, and still walked away with enough young talent to make the future look worth watching.
That’s been the pattern under president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom. The organization has leaned into a younger roster built for longer-term success instead of chasing quick fixes, and names like JJ Wetherholt, Jordan Walker, Joshua Báez and Leo Bernal have given the front office something to build on. But if the Cardinals want to take a step forward in 2027, there are still obvious holes to patch.
The bullpen was one of the loudest alarms. St.
Louis finished the season with a bullpen ERA above 4.40 and sat among the worst teams in baseball in blown saves. Riley O'Brien settled into the closer role and piled up 38 saves, but even he wasn’t immune to rough nights in pressure spots.
Adding at least two veteran relievers has to be near the top of Bloom’s winter to-do list.
Third base is another mess that needs attention after Nolan Arenado’s departure. Cardinals third basemen combined for a .215 average, a .278 on-base percentage and a .352 slugging percentage over 156 games, numbers that ranked near the bottom of the majors.
Nolan Gorman got a look there but managed just a .585 OPS in 258 at-bats. Blaze Jordan and Thomas Saggese also got chances and flashed at times, but the position never settled.
A short-term veteran could steady things without blocking the kids, and Eugenio Suárez stands out as a fit. The 35-year-old hit 26 homers, drove in 74 runs and posted a .740 OPS in 125 games with the Cincinnati Reds in 2026.
He was even better in 2025, when he launched 49 home runs and knocked in 118. Defensively, he played 50 games at third for Cincinnati in 2026, finishing with a .961 fielding percentage and four errors in 401 innings.
The rotation was more of a middle-of-the-pack story, but even there, St. Louis has unfinished business.
Kyle Leahy, Michael McGreevy and Andre Pallante all emerged as meaningful pieces, and Leahy in particular made his case with a 2.74 ERA after the All-Star break through early September. McGreevy gave the club important innings, while Pallante bounced back after a rough 2025.
Still, the Cardinals don’t have a proven ace, and the group is carrying plenty of uncertainty because of injuries. Hunter Dobbins had his second Tommy John surgery in September, ruling him out of the picture for 2027 right away.
Prospects like Liam Doyle, Tanner Franklin and Jurrangelo Cijntje could matter down the line, but that’s not the same as having a frontline starter in hand. Jack Flaherty is one possible answer.
The former Cardinals right-hander posted a 4.48 ERA in 20 appearances in 2026 and owns a 3.85 career ERA across 10 major league seasons. His two-year deal with the Detroit Tigers runs out after the 2026 season, and he has no options left for 2027.
Center field is another spot worth watching. Since 2023, Cardinals center fielders have produced roughly a .225 batting average, and the club still hasn’t found consistent offense there.
Nathan Church could get a shot to claim the job in 2027, but the Cardinals would be better off bringing in competition. Continued development from Walker and Wetherholt also matters as the roster takes shape.
One more name to keep in mind is Trent Grisham. The 30-year-old is heading into free agency after a 2026 season worth 3.8 WAR, and he would bring defense plus some power to the lineup.
In Other News...
Cardinals Face A Big Third Base Question With Blaze Jordan
The Cardinals turned one of last summers deadline deals into a longer look at their future in the infield when they brought in Blaze Jordan for Steven Matz. Matz had done solid work in Boston before moving on in free agency, while Jordan arrived with a reputation built on strong minor league production and the kind of upside that can keep a front office interested even after a rough introduction to the majors.
Now the real question is where Jordan fits, and whether third base can become his path to regular at-bats in St. Louis. His big-league stint did not go smoothly before a season-ending injury cut it short, but the organization still has to sort out what comes next at a spot that remains unsettled for future seasons. [Read more 🡒]
Jordan Walker Just Made The Cardinals' Offseason Much Tougher
Jordan Walkers breakout season changed the conversation around the Cardinals almost overnight. After slugging 29 home runs and earning his first All-Star selection, he no longer looks like just another young piece in the rebuild, but the kind of player a front office has to think about differently when winter decisions come due.
That is where the complication starts for St. Louis. Walker is heading into the kind of offseason where the Cardinals have to weigh a long-term extension against the risk of waiting, with arbitration eligibility looming and his price likely to rise if he keeps producing. Chaim Bloom has already signaled caution about big spending, so Walkers next contract question may become one of the defining choices of the clubs offseason. [Read more 🡒]
Cardinals Have A Sonny Gray Problem Fans Will Instantly Understand
Sonny Gray is already in the kind of offseason conversation Cardinals fans know all too well, the sort where a familiar name starts to drift back into view because the fit makes too much sense to ignore. Gray has said he wants to keep pitching in 2027, and with family ties to Tennessee, the geography alone is enough to make St. Louis worth mentioning whenever the next chapter of his career comes up.
For the Cardinals, the appeal goes beyond a simple reunion. Their roster situation could leave room for a veteran arm, and their proximity to Gray's home base only adds to the intrigue. But any real pursuit would also depend on contract options and where he sees the best chance to pitch for a contender, with the Braves another club that could enter the picture if the market breaks a certain way. [Read more 🡒]