The Cardinals have already got eyes on 2027, and the picture starts to look a lot brighter when Joshua Baez and Leo Bernal are in the Opening Day mix from the jump. That youth gives St. Louis a chance to be much better than it was in 2026, maybe even a .500 club if the top of the farm system gives the roster the kind of lift it’s built to absorb.
But even with that optimism, the holes are still there. St.
Louis can use help in the rotation, multiple bullpen arms and possibly a third baseman to bridge the gap until Jesus Baez or Rainiel Rodriguez is ready. Free agency is the cleanest route for pitching, but if the right trade opportunity opens up, Emerson Hancock is the kind of name the Cardinals should have circled.
Hancock was already viewed as a possible trade piece for Seattle this past summer. Before the 2026 trade deadline, The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon reported that the Mariners were "open" to moving Hancock. Seattle kept him, but the fit still makes sense now because the Mariners have pitching depth and need offense.
That’s where a bold one-for-one swap comes in. The Cardinals would send Herrera to Seattle and bring Hancock to St. Louis.
It would be a tough call for St. Louis, but the roster construction makes it worth thinking about.
The Cardinals are crowded behind the plate, and that only gets tighter once Rodriguez arrives. Even if Rodriguez ends up at another spot, such as third base, the organization still has a lot of talent pushing toward the majors.
In a best-case setup, Baez could slot into the infield while Rodriguez works as a designated hitter when he isn’t catching, or plays one of the corners.
For Seattle, Herrera would give the lineup a boost as a DH. For St.
Louis, Hancock would bring a young, controllable starter off a breakout year. He posted a 3.57 ERA in 25 starts in 2026 with Seattle and is under team control through the 2030 season.
That kind of arm would help anchor the top of the Cardinals’ rotation, while the Mariners get the extra offense they need. It’s the kind of trade that fits both sides a little too neatly.
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
The Cardinals still have a hole to fill on the hitting side after moving on from Brant Brown following two seasons, and the search has already hit a snag. Peter Fatse, who had been a finalist for the job, opted to take the hitting coach role with the Phillies instead, leaving St. Louis to keep working through its next step as the offseason coaching picture starts to take shape.
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 🡒]