The Cardinals have spent this season reshaping the roster with an eye on what comes next, and that makes Ramón Urías one of the more interesting names to watch as the offseason approaches.
St. Louis has already moved a number of veteran pieces in its rebuild.
Nolan Arenado and Sonny Gray were dealt away in the offseason, then the club continued operating as a seller at the trade deadline by moving Dustin May, JoJo Romero and Lars Nootbaar. The one non-prospect addition the Cardinals made was veteran reliever Caleb Ferguson, who is on an expiring contract.
That leaves St. Louis with a surprisingly short list of notable free agents after the season.
Ferguson is one, and Ryne Stanek would also reach free agency if the Cardinals turn down his $6 million team option. The other is Urías, the former Gold Glove winner who MLB.com’s Theo DeRosa, Manny Randhawa and Shanthi Sepe-Chepuru identified as the club’s “biggest impending” free agent.
“The Cardinals don’t have much in the way of pending free agents, as only Urías and Trade Deadline acquisition Caleb Ferguson are set to hit the market this offseason," DeRosa, Randhawa and Sepe-Chepuru wrote on Sunday. "Still rehabbing from lateral epicondylitis in both elbows, Urías has appeared in just 25 games for St.
Louis with a .158/.279/.316 slash line. The versatile infielder -- a Gold Glover for the Orioles in 2022 -- should make it back before the end of the season, giving him a chance to showcase his skills for his upcoming free agency."
That final stretch matters. Urías is expected back soon after missing substantial time with the elbow issue, but he has a narrow window to change the conversation before free agency.
His numbers with St. Louis have been rough: a .158 average, two home runs and five RBIs in 25 games.
The defense still plays. Urías remains a dependable option at third base.
But the fit with the Cardinals’ long-term plan is less clear. St.
Louis is still a couple of seasons away from finishing the rebuild and being ready to push as a true contender, even with how well this year has gone.
That’s why the team’s focus on young talent matters so much here. Giving Blaze Jordan more run at third base, or opening the door for prospects like Jesús Báez or Deniel Ortiz, would seem to line up better with where the Cardinals are headed than bringing back a 32-year-old who has struggled at the plate.
If Urías doesn’t finish strong, it would be no surprise if St. Louis simply moves on.
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