The Cardinals’ offseason shopping list is already coming into focus, and third base has landed on it with some urgency.
St. Louis is expected to chase multiple bullpen arms and a veteran starter when free agency opens this winter, but there’s also a real opening for a short-term answer at third.
The organization does have potential long-term options on the way, including Jesus Baez and maybe even Rainiel Rodriguez, yet it would still be a surprise if either one is ready for the 2027 Opening Day roster. Neither has advanced beyond Double-A.
That’s why Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reporting that the Cardinals are "open" to adding a short-term third baseman matters.
Alec Bohm has already been floated in speculation, and now The Athletic’s Jim Bowden has connected St. Louis to another name: JP Crawford.
"[JP Crawford] moved from shortstop to third base this season to make room for rookie Colt Emerson and did so without complaining, showing great selflessness and leadership," Bowden wrote. He was considered a plus defender at shortstop for most of his career, but his defense has regressed the past couple of years as he’s lost some range as he’s aged. ...
Best team fits: St. Louis Cardinals, Minnesota Twins.
Contract prediction: 2 years, $20 million."
Crawford isn’t the type of target that has been dominating the rumor mill, but the fit is easy to see. Bowden noted that Crawford handled a lot of third base in 2026, and his résumé still carries plenty of weight. From 2019 through the 2026 season, he posted 20.8 wins above replacement while batting .250 in 858 games, with 64 home runs, 326 RBIs and 164 doubles.
He’s a former first-round pick and a Gold Glove Award winner, and he has also hit 26 homers over the last two seasons. For a Cardinals team looking for both defense and a steady veteran voice, that checks a lot of boxes.
The price tag only adds to the appeal. Bowden’s two-year, $20 million projection would make Crawford an affordable option for a club that needs to solve third base without blocking its future.
He was worth 3.6 WAR for the Seattle Mariners in 2025, then slipped in 2026, but he is still only 31. That leaves room for a rebound and a useful stretch in St.
Louis, both in 2026 and beyond.
For a Cardinals team that needs value and stability, Crawford looks like a sensible answer to an open spot.
In Other News...
Cardinals Fans Can Finally Dream Big About Leo Bernal
Leo Bernal has already given the Cardinals something to think about. After getting into 24 big league games in 2026, he showed enough at the plate with a .284/.333/.474 slash line and five home runs to make it clear he is more than just a defense-first catching prospect. That kind of production matters in St. Louis, but Bernals calling card has always been the glove, and he backed that up by winning the Minor League Gold Glove Award in 2025.
What makes the early returns so encouraging is the way Bernal fits the long view behind the plate. Baseball America has already labeled him the likely successor to Yadier Molina, which is about as lofty a comparison as a Cardinals catching prospect can get, and the expectation is that he will be in the starting job by the 2027 season. For a fan base that has spent years measuring every potential catcher against a franchise legend, Bernal is starting to look like a real answer rather than just the next name in line. [Read more 🡒]
Cardinals Still Face A Key Coaching Decision After Search Setback
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With one preferred candidate now off the board, the Cardinals may need to cast a wider net externally as they look for the right fit. Casey Chenoweth is expected to remain in the organization and continue working with minor league players, but the major league staff still has an important decision ahead as the club tries to reset its approach at the plate. [Read more 🡒]
Cardinals Rumors Raise A Bigger Question About Chaim Bloom's Rotation Plan
The Cardinals offseason pitching search is already taking shape around a familiar kind of bet, with the club considering a short-term prove-it deal for a starter as it looks to stabilize the rotation. Jack Flaherty has been mentioned as one possibility, which naturally brings a lot of history back into the conversation, especially with St. Louis now under a different front-office leadership than the one that moved him out before.
Lance Lynn, who knows the organization well, has already cast doubt on the idea of Flaherty returning, pointing to the issues that helped lead to that earlier split. The bigger question for the Cardinals is whether Chaim Bloom and the front office want to chase the upside of a name like Flaherty, or play it safer with other short-term options such as Dustin May, given the injury concerns and age factors that make this market tricky. [Read more 🡒]