The Cardinals’ hunt for starting pitching could lead them straight into the middle of the NLCS, and one name stands out: Kris Bubic.
With the offseason clouded by labor talks and the current collective bargaining agreement set to expire in December, the road to 2027 is murky. A lockout is looming, and there’s no clear picture yet of what baseball will look like if the two sides can’t make a deal.
For now, though, free agency and trades still remain on the table, and St. Louis has an obvious need to address.
The Cardinals need a veteran starter, and Bubic fits the profile.
Bubic is 29, a former All-Star and first-round pick who is in his seventh season in the majors. He’s with the Dodgers right now, working out of the bullpen only because Los Angeles has so much starting pitching talent.
That usage shouldn’t define him for interested teams this winter. His value is still tied to what he can do as a starter.
The track record says plenty. Bubic posted a 3.76 ERA in 2026 over 14 appearances, nine of them starts.
Solid, yes. But the real selling point is what he did in 2025 with the Royals, when he made 20 starts and turned in a 2.55 ERA with a 116-to-39 strikeout-to-walk ratio across 116 1/3 innings.
When he’s right and healthy, he has top-of-the-rotation upside.
Health is the one flag in the picture. He missed time in 2026 with shoulder soreness before being traded to the Dodgers, but that shouldn’t scare St.
Louis away. If anything, it may make him the kind of pitcher the Cardinals can target on a shorter deal.
After a rough 2026 season overall, a pillow contract would make sense for Bubic, the same kind of arrangement Dustin May got last year.
That’s the lane St. Louis should be watching closely. When the market opens, Bubic ought to be near the top of the Cardinals’ call list.
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