The Cardinals may not have a locked-in answer for the ninth inning in 2027, but they do have a few internal paths they could take if they want to keep things in-house.
That possibility grows out of the way St. Louis has handled the bullpen under Chaim Bloom.
With the organization putting its energy into player development and long-term roster building, the relief group was left thin outside of depth additions like Justin Bruihl, George Soriano, and Ryne Stanek. The result was a bullpen built more on internal guesswork than major outside spending, and that approach could carry over again.
Riley O'Brien wound up serving as the club’s de facto closer in 2026. He was an All-Star and led the NL in saves last season, but the late-season leash on him got shorter and shorter.
O'Brien also finished with the most blown saves in the NL, a reminder of how many tight games the Cardinals were living in. After finally putting together a full season of health, the 32-year-old may fit better in a different role if the Cardinals want to preserve his effectiveness and keep him valuable long term.
If that happens, the Cardinals have a few in-house candidates to consider.
Luis Gastelum looks like the clearest internal option. He was rough after his first promotion to the majors, allowing four homers in his first 10 innings while striking out eight and walking four, which pushed his ERA north of six.
But the final stretch of his season told a much different story. From August through the end of the year, he threw 26.2 innings, struck out 36, walked eight, and allowed only two home runs.
He also handled the ninth in four games. The concern is experience: the changeup specialist has only 22 career saves in four seasons, and 10 of them came two years ago in Double-A.
George Soriano is another name in the mix. A spring addition who quickly became a workhorse, he was leaned on heavily as the bullpen was shuffled around him.
Through his first 24 outings, Soriano was excellent, allowing just 25 baserunners and recording two saves through May. The second half was tougher, as his command wobbled and he finished with a 5.68 ERA in what became the busiest year of his career.
Still, he and O'Brien tied for the team lead in blown saves, and Soriano’s 70 appearances show he can handle volume. Used a little less and in more important spots, he could be a candidate to see his strikeout rate climb to 25% or higher.
There is also the possibility that St. Louis skips the traditional closer altogether and goes with a committee.
That would not be the cleanest setup for a team trying to contend, and it would probably create plenty of frustration for fans because the ninth inning would change depending on the matchup. It would also leave Marmol working without a true fixed answer from night to night.
That kind of arrangement could involve Gastelum or Soriano, but it could also bring in Ryan Fernandez and Matt Svanson, both of whom have shown flashes without getting much run in 2026. Even beyond that, the Cardinals could fold in rehabbing arms such as Max Rajcic, Cade Winquest, or Hancel Rincon if they end up in the mix.
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