The Cardinals have already shown they’re willing to keep turning over the roster, and Dustin May may be one of the easier decisions on the table this winter.
After St. Louis dealt May and JoJo Romero to the Milwaukee Brewers at the trade deadline, the right-hander’s future quickly became part of the conversation again.
He was signed in the offseason to a one-year contract, and while there is a mutual option for next season, those deals only work if both sides agree. That makes free agency a real possibility.
If May does hit the market, St. Louis would have a strong case to bring him back.
The 28-year-old finished 7-9 with a 4.70 ERA in 31 starts, and while he struggled after joining the Brewers in the second half, he pitched well in St. Louis before the move. His final ERA for the year also came in lower than where he finished in 2025.
Health matters here too. May made it through a full season, something he hadn’t done in a long time. That alone gives him value, especially since he probably won’t cost much compared with the top names out there.
The Cardinals aren’t expected to be in the market for pitchers like Tarik Skubal and Sonny Gray, and they already have plenty of starting pitching depth anyway. But if they want a veteran starter who fits their price range, May stands out as the best option among that group. He’s also the kind of arm that makes sense for a staff with younger pitchers who could use a steady presence.
There’s another layer to this as well: May repeatedly said he enjoyed his time in St. Louis, so a return wouldn’t seem like a stretch from his side. And if the Cardinals did sign him again, they could always deal him later, just as they did this season.
For now, May is set to pitch for the Brewers in the postseason. After that, the Cardinals could have a chance to circle back on a pitcher who already fit once and might fit again in 2027. Whether Chaim Bloom makes that call will be one of the more interesting rotation decisions to watch.
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