The Cardinals are heading into the offseason with a rebuild that has already taken a real step forward in 2026, and that changes the tone of everything they do next. The ugly part of a teardown - shipping out players and eating the pain that comes with it - is probably behind them now.
That doesn’t mean they’ll go wild this winter. It does mean there’s room for a few smart additions that could help push them a little closer to a playoff spot in 2027.
One area that stands out immediately is the rotation. St.
Louis is expected to look for a starting pitcher, ideally someone young enough to still have something to prove and looking for a chance to rebuild his value. Dustin May fit that mold this season before being traded to the Milwaukee Brewers, and while his numbers in Milwaukee weren’t strong, he could be the type of pitcher who wants another short-term deal.
That’s why a return to St. Louis would make sense.
The Cardinals leaned on him as a veteran presence for their younger pitchers, and that kind of steadiness could matter again next year. He also figures to be affordable for a team still working through a rebuild.
The bullpen should be another priority. JoJo Romero was dealt to the Brewers with May at the deadline, and the Cardinals felt his absence once he landed on the injured list. Since relief work was the club’s biggest weakness in 2026, they’ll need to rebuild that group with more high-leverage arms, and Romero would be a logical target.
Left-handed relief depth is another box that needs checking. Justin Bruihl was a steady option for several years in that bullpen, and the Cardinals will likely need more than just him from the left side.
He could cost more than some other relievers, but bringing him back alongside May would fit the profile of the kind of moves St. Louis should be making.
There is one area where the Cardinals should steer clear of the obvious name. Alec Bohm is set to hit free agency at the end of the World Series, and Philadelphia appears ready to move on after several years.
St. Louis has a third-base opening, and the current internal options - Blaze Jordan and Thomas Saggese - don’t look locked in as the long-term answer.
But Bohm doesn’t look like the answer either. In 2026, he hit .249/.315/.383 with 15 RBI, a -0.2 WAR and a .698 OPS, and his defense did not hold up. The Cardinals can spend on a short-term third baseman, but this is a case where they should aim higher than Bohm.
In Other News...
Cardinals Face One Dustin May Question This Offseason
Dustin Mays time in Milwaukee has not gone the way either side likely imagined when the Cardinals dealt him and JoJo Romero to the Brewers in exchange for Alexander Fras and Josiah Ragsdale. After a rough postseason showing, Mays future with his new club is already murky, and it is no surprise the Brewers are expected to think hard before deciding whether to exercise his mutual option for 2027.
For St. Louis, the bigger question is whether there is any real path back to May this winter. The Cardinals can use the rotation help, but the early sense is that they may be more inclined to hunt for free-agent arms with upside than revisit a reunion, leaving May as one of those familiar names whose next move could shape the pitching market well beyond this offseason. [Read more 🡒]
Cardinals May Need A Tough Rotation Call As Top Prospect Nears
Jurrangelo Cijntje is tracking toward the majors as one of the more intriguing arms in the Cardinals system, and his development has already forced some longer-range roster planning in St. Louis. After making the move from switch-pitcher to primarily a right-handed starter, he split last season between Double-A and Triple-A and was one of the organizations top prospects despite a 4.87 ERA.
His progress matters because the Cardinals are looking ahead to 2027 with more than one pitching prospect potentially pressing for a spot, and the front office may have to make some uncomfortable decisions to sort through the group. Cijntje is expected to be part of that conversation as he gets closer to his MLB debut, which could put St. Louis in the position of choosing how to fit a young arm with upside into a crowded future rotation picture. [Read more 🡒]
Cardinals May Have Found A Cheaper Rotation Fix In Free Agency
The Cardinals are entering the offseason with pitching at the center of the conversation, and the search for help is not limited to the bullpen. While St. Louis has already made clear it wants to reinforce the staff across the board, one name floating as a potential rotation answer is Foster Griffin, a left-hander who spent the 2026 season with the Nationals and Guardians.
Griffins appeal is pretty straightforward for a club trying to improve without overspending: he gave Cleveland a combined 3.60 ERA in 31 starts and helped the Guardians get to the postseason. For a Cardinals team looking for a more affordable path to rotation depth, that profile makes him the kind of fit who could make sense on a one- or two-year deal, even if the broader market still has to shake out. [Read more 🡒]