The Cardinals don’t look like a team that should be rushing into a splash at third base.
St. Louis finished 77-85, missed the playoffs and still came away with something useful: a better read on a young roster that already has some real upside.
The club is young now, and it’s only going to get younger as more help moves up from the farm. Rainiel Rodriguez and Jesus Baez are among the names that could change the look of the lineup, while Liam Doyle, Jurrangelo Cijntje and others are part of the future on the pitching side.
That’s why the biggest free-agent mistake this winter might be forcing the issue at third base.
The position does need attention, but the Cardinals have to be careful about how they handle it. Alec Bohm and Eugenio Suarez are the top two available options, and the contrast matters.
Suarez is 35, which makes him a poor fit for a club trying to build something with staying power. Bohm, at 30, is the more reasonable name, and he could fit the long-term picture.
Even then, St. Louis should only go there if the price makes sense.
If not, the Cardinals may be better off waiting.
There are internal options that can hold the spot without boxing out the future. Thomas Saggese and Blaze Jordan could handle third base to start the season if the club decides Jesus Baez isn’t ready yet. And if Baez does look ready for Opening Day, that only makes the decision easier.
Baez is the real reason this has to be handled with care. He’s 21, and in 113 games in 2026 he hit 39 home runs and drove in 109 runs.
He still hasn’t played above Double-A, but the power is loud enough that St. Louis has to take him seriously.
The Cardinals should not make a major commitment that blocks his path before they know exactly what they have.
Bohm is a different case from Suarez because he’s younger and offers more than just third base. He can also play first base if Alec Burleson needs a day off, or serve as a DH. That flexibility gives him a cleaner fit than Suarez would.
Still, the bigger point remains the same: Baez could be the long-term answer, and the Cardinals have already spent the past year giving young players a chance. If they now turn around and shut the door on another elite prospect, that would be a step backward unless the deal is truly the right one.
In Other News...
Cardinals Reunion Idea Hinges On One Big Question About A Familiar Arm
Jordan Montgomerys name is back in circulation again, and it comes with the kind of familiar appeal that can tempt a front office looking for stability. The left-hander once pitched for the Cardinals, later won a World Series with the Rangers and now is heading toward free agency at 33, with a recent track record shaped as much by injuries and uneven performance as by the promise he still occasionally flashes.
For St. Louis, the fit is easy to understand: a veteran arm who could help anchor a rotation in 2027 and perhaps become a movable piece if things go well by summer. The question, though, is the same one that follows Montgomery around now, and it will shape how seriously the Cardinals can pursue the idea of a reunion. [Read more 🡒]
Jordan Walker Just Changed A Big Cardinals Decision
Jordan Walkers 2026 season gave the Cardinals exactly the kind of long-term answer they have been searching for. He put together a full workload, powered his way to 29 homers, swiped 22 bases and drove in 102 runs across 158 games, then added an All-Star nod and a Home Run Derby title to a year that firmly raised his profile in St. Louis. For a club trying to build around a young core, Walker only strengthened the sense that he belongs at the center of the conversation.
Even with the late-season dip, there is now a different kind of uncertainty around him, and it has less to do with whether he is part of the future than where the Cardinals fit him within it. Chaim Bloom confirmed Walker was playing through hip pain in September, a reminder that the final impression of the season came with some context attached. Walker and JJ Wetherholt are viewed as key pieces for what comes next, and the Cardinals suddenly have a big decision to make about how to handle that promising pairing. [Read more 🡒]
Ivan Herrera Rescued Cardinals After A Game That Left Fans Fuming
For most of the night in Denver, the Cardinals had more to worry about than the Rockies. Doug Eddings drew plenty of ire for a series of disputed calls, including a safe ruling that went against St. Louis and a pitch clock violation that got manager Oli Marmol tossed. The frustration only grew when rookie Hancel Rincon was told to adjust his cap, a move Major League Baseball later acknowledged had gone too far and apologized to the pitcher for.
Ivan Herrera eventually gave the Cardinals something better to remember. With the game hanging in the balance, he launched a three-run homer in the ninth inning to turn a maddening night into a win, offering a sharp reminder that the lineup could still erase a whole lot of bad blood in one swing. Even after the final out, though, the conversation around this one lingered on the officiating and the ripple effects it left behind. [Read more 🡒]