The Cardinals’ unexpected rise in 2026 has changed the conversation for this winter. Instead of looking like a team ready to strip things down, St. Louis now appears positioned to buy, with Chaim Bloom in line to make moves that could help the club take another step forward.
That’s why MLB insider Robert Murray of Fansided.com linking the Cardinals to Yankees infielder Anthony Volpe as a trade target makes at least some sense on the surface. The Cardinals can use help around the infield, and this offseason could be the time to add it.
Murray wrote: "Explore a trade for Anthony Volpe," Murray writes. "... But this is something that other teams will sniff around this offseason, I believe, and Bloom - who has previously worked with the Red Sox and Rays - should have plenty of familiarity in dealing with the Yankees."
There is room for an addition in St. Louis.
Beyond J.J. Wetherholt at second base and Alec Burleson at first base, the rest of the infield picture is less settled.
Masyn Winn brings energy at shortstop, but the bat has lagged behind. Nolan Gorman, meanwhile, still hasn’t produced enough offensively this season, even with the upside he has flashed in past years.
Still, Volpe is not the answer the Cardinals should be chasing.
The 25-year-old is under team control through the 2028 season and has been a useful player for New York, but the production profile is pretty plain. He posted 1.6 bWAR in 153 games last year with a .663 OPS, and this season he has 1.3 bWAR in 66 games with a .671 OPS. That’s steady, not special.
And that’s the problem. Volpe does not profile as an above-average hitter, and the defensive value doesn’t really change the equation. For a Cardinals team already getting by with Winn at shortstop - he’s 24 and has a .632 OPS - it’s hard to see the upgrade being worth the cost.
If St. Louis is going to spend real trade capital, it should aim higher than a player who brings limited upside and doesn’t clearly solve a glaring need. Taking a flier on Volpe might sound reasonable in theory, but for the Cardinals, it would be a mistake.
In Other News...
Cardinals Make A Late Season Masyn Winn Decision Fans Will Notice
The Cardinals are using their final home game of 2026 to give Quinn Mathews the start against the Washington Nationals, a nod to where the season has gone as the club closes out a 75-80 campaign. St. Louis has already locked in a losing record at Busch Stadium, and the lineup reflects a team in evaluation mode rather than one trying to squeeze out a late push.
Masyn Winn, the Gold Glove shortstop, is not in the starting lineup, with Thomas Saggese getting the start at shortstop instead. For a player who has been one of the more recognizable pieces of the Cardinals infield, it is the kind of late-season decision fans will notice right away, especially with one game left at home and plenty of questions still hanging over how the club wants to finish the year. [Read more 🡒]
Rival Manager Sees Something In The Cardinals Fans Can't Ignore
Even with the 2026 season going sideways, there is still some outside belief that the Cardinals are closer to a turnaround than the record suggests. Giants manager Tony Vitello took a broad view of where St. Louis stands, pointing to Oliver Marmol and team leader Alec Burleson as part of a foundation worth keeping, while also recognizing the obvious hurdles, from sparse attendance to holes that still need to be filled on the roster.
The real intrigue now is whether the optimism around Chaim Blooms rebuild matches what the Cardinals can actually deliver over the next stretch of seasons. The clubs youth gives it a chance to grow into something better, but the bullpen remains one of the areas that will need attention if the front office wants to turn outside belief into something fans can feel on the field. [Read more 🡒]
Cardinals Season Ended Because One Problem Never Got Fixed
The Cardinals had enough from the offense and starting rotation to stay in the race for a while, but the back end of games kept pulling them under. A poor second half helped sink St. Louis to a 75-80 finish and out of playoff contention, and the bullpen was a major reason why the season never really found steady ground.
It was a familiar kind of frustration for a club that could score and could start games well enough, only to watch leads slip away late. With the bullpen finishing 24th in ERA and tied for third in blown saves, the Cardinals spent too many nights needing one more clean inning and not getting it. [Read more 🡒]