The Cardinals’ 2027 roster picture is already starting to take shape, and the biggest questions sit in the same place they usually do this time of year: who gets kept, who gets cut loose, and which names become movable before the deadline.
At the top of the list is Ryne Stanek, who carries a $6 million club option for 2027 with a $1 million buyout attached. The decision is being framed as a coin flip, and for a reliever, that’s about right.
Stanek was worth $-0.3 million based on Fangraphs Dollar Value, but the math changes a little when you’re talking about a $6 million price tag for a league-average arm. Swallowing the $1 million buyout wouldn’t exactly wreck the budget, either.
Ramon Urias is also technically on the free-agent ledger, even though he was released before the end of the season. Because of that release, the Cardinals already absorbed his $500k buyout for 2027.
The 2026-27 qualifying offer has been reported at $23.15 million, and neither Stanek nor Urias is expected to factor into that discussion. Urias, in particular, likely isn’t even eligible after being released.
The arbitration class is where the matrix gets a lot more crowded. MLB Trade Rumors’ 2027 salary projections have been built into the Cardinals’ planning sheet, with the following figures attached to the eligible players:
Alec Burleson: $8.3MM
Nolan Gorman: $3.4MM
Iván Herrera: $5.5MM
Kyle Leahy: $2.8MM
Matthew Liberatore: $3.6MM
Pedro Pagés: $1.3MM
Andre Pallante: $7.5MM
Jordan Walker: $5.1MM
Masyn Winn: $3.3MM
Among that group, Nolan Gorman and Pedro Pagés stand out as the most likely non-tender candidates if they aren’t moved first. Both could also draw interest on the trade market before the tendering deadline. Gorman fits the “change of scenery candidate” label, while Pagés checks a box clubs are always chasing: catching depth, whether the need is at starter or backup.
There’s also the possibility of some pre-arbitration players being non-tendered, though that part is harder to forecast.
The salary matrix itself stretches from 2026 through 2035 and tracks not just active roster contracts, but also the financial commitments the Cardinals are still carrying for former players. Players listed in bold are on the 40-man roster, and there’s a color key available for anyone scrolling through the sheet.
Nolan Arenado and Willson Contreras still appear on the matrix for a simple reason: St. Louis is still paying part of their salaries, as noted in the spreadsheet’s notes tab.
The matrix will keep changing through the offseason and into the 2027 season, with updates reflecting arbitration decisions, free-agent moves, and any non-tenders that come before the roster settles.
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Royce Lewis is the name to watch. The former No. 1 overall pick has the kind of power and positional flexibility that can change a lineup, and the Cardinals would have reason to keep tabs on him if Minnesota makes him available. His appeal is obvious enough: a talent with upside at a spot St. Louis wants to strengthen, even if the path to him opening up remains tied to a situation the Cardinals can only monitor for now. [Read more 🡒]