The St. Louis Cardinals have given their fan base plenty to hang onto this season, even if the standings have turned sour lately.
After dropping below .500 for the first time in nearly a month, the club is now 66-68 and more than five games back of the final wild-card spot. That’s a rough finish to a second half that never matched the first, but it doesn’t erase the bigger-picture progress that’s shown up in St.
Louis.
This wasn’t supposed to be a team built to push for much right away. The Cardinals entered the offseason in rebuild mode and moved on from stars such as Nolan Arenado and Sonny Gray.
Even after jumping out to a 50-45 record heading into the All-Star break, they still leaned into the future at the trade deadline by shipping out Dustin May and JoJo Romero. The results since then have been far less encouraging, but the development elsewhere has kept the season from feeling like a total loss.
JJ Wetherholt and Jordan Walker have both taken major steps forward, becoming important parts of the Cardinals’ long-term picture. Alec Burleson has also emerged quickly as a face of the franchise. With the organization focused on development, other young players have been able to get real opportunities and make their mark as well.
Still, one glaring issue is staring the Cardinals right in the face this winter: the bullpen. As a unit, St.
Louis relievers have posted a 4.48 ERA, which ranks 24th in the league. Even more alarming, no Cardinals reliever with more than five innings pitched has an ERA under 3.10.
“Sixteen pitchers have logged more than five innings of relief for the Cardinals in 2026. Not one of them has done so with a sub-3.10 ERA, nor a sub-3.40 FIP,” Bleacher Report's Kerry Miller wrote on Wednesday.
“Even the woebegone A's, Rockies and Nationals bullpens have at least had a couple of somewhat reliable arms, but Cardinals relievers have been mediocre or worse across the board. There should be some serious revamping this winter.”
Riley O'Brien has been a bright spot, ranking third in the league in saves, but even he has battled inconsistency. The Cardinals may be ahead of schedule in their rebuild, but if they want to turn that progress into real contention, the bullpen has to be fixed.
In Other News...
Cardinals Suddenly Have Another Third Base Concern to Watch
A routine night against the Orioles took an abrupt turn when Blaze Jordan went down with a left foot and ankle injury and had to be pulled from the game. The Cardinals are expecting him to miss some time while they sort out just how serious it is, which adds another layer of uncertainty to a position group that has already demanded attention this season.
Nolan Gorman slid in at third base after Jordan exited, and that quick move at least gave St. Louis a short-term answer. Still, anytime a player is forced out with an injury to the foot or ankle, the ripple effect can linger well beyond one game, especially for a club trying to keep its infield stabilized while waiting on more clarity. [Read more 🡒]
Cardinals Got An Unexpected Rotation Lift At The Perfect Time
In the middle of a patchwork stretch in the rotation, Gordon Graceffo gave the Cardinals exactly the kind of stopgap start they needed. With Andre Pallante and Hunter Dobbins sidelined, St. Louis turned to a bullpen game, and Graceffo handled the opening three innings with ease, retiring every hitter he faced while striking out four.
The bigger-picture plan is more practical than dramatic: the Cardinals are not bringing in another starter right now, and they expect Pallante back soon. For the moment, Quinn Mathews is slated to take Pallantes turn, with the club hoping for length from both Mathews and Kyle Leahy in the coming starts so the bullpen can catch its breath. [Read more 🡒]
Cardinals Just Opened The Door For Cade Winquest's Long Wait To End
The Cardinals made a quiet roster move with a potentially meaningful payoff, selecting the contract of right-hander Cade Winquest from Triple-A Memphis and adding him to the 40-man roster. To clear the path, St. Louis placed Peter Strzelecki on the 15-day injured list with extensor inflammation in his right forearm, creating an opening on the 26-man roster at a time when bullpen depth matters.
For Winquest, the timing brings a long wait into focus. He had previously been on the Yankees roster without getting into a game, and now appears set for his first major league appearance in a Cardinals uniform. The move gives St. Louis another live arm while giving Winquest the kind of chance every pitcher chasing the show keeps waiting for. [Read more 🡒]