The Cardinals may have some rotation pieces already lined up for 2027, but the offseason still looks like a place where they’ll need to go shopping.
Kyle Leahy, Andre Pallante and Michael McGreevy are described as locks for next year, and the starting staff has held up well this season even after the club traded Dustin May. Still, the Cardinals are going to need to supplement the pitching staff, and while the bullpen has been the biggest problem, the rotation isn’t off the hook either.
That’s where a pair of familiar veteran names enter the picture. Will Leitch of MLB.com pointed to Shane Bieber and Kris Bubic as possible fits for St. Louis, both in the same general mold as May was this past offseason.
“The Cardinals would love to strike gold again like they did this past offseason with Dustin May, a free agent willing to sign on a one-year deal and rebuild his value. (Think Kris Bubic, maybe even Shane Bieber.) But it’s unlikely that -- at least for 2027 -- they’re going to play at the top of the pitching market,” Leitch wrote.
Bubic makes sense as a possible one-year addition with an option after making the All-Star team last season for the Kansas City Royals. Bieber brings a different kind of appeal. The former Cy Young winner took home the award with the Cleveland Guardians in 2020 and has also shown he can handle postseason innings.
That track record is part of what makes Bieber look like the safer bet. Even if the Cardinals aren’t expected to be a serious contender in 2027, he’d give them a proven arm who could help steady the staff and serve as a mentor for some of the younger pitchers in the mix. He also fits the profile of a pitcher who could step in and stop a skid when the team needs one.
There are obvious questions with both options. Bieber had Tommy John surgery in 2024, and both pitchers have dealt with injuries over the years. But that same risk is part of the reason they could be available on short-term deals aimed at rebuilding value.
Bieber is 5-2 with a 4.37 ERA in 11 starts for the Toronto Blue Jays and is currently on the injured list. Bubic is also sidelined after going 3-2 with a 4.11 ERA in his first nine starts.
Bieber has the stronger resume, which is why he’d likely be viewed as the safer choice. Still, both pitchers could give the Cardinals a version of what May provided.
And if St. Louis wants to go in a different direction, May himself could even be a possibility for 2027.
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Cardinals Bullpen Reset Could Start With One Veteran Arm
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One important piece of that conversation is Staneks contract situation. ESPNs Jeff Passan reported that his club option for the 2027 season is unlikely to be picked up, a detail that adds another layer to what already figures to be an active offseason for the Cardinals. With bullpen changes expected as the organization tries to raise the units ceiling next year, Stanek looks like the kind of arm whose future could say a lot about how aggressive St. Louis plans to be. [Read more 🡒]