The 2026 Major League Baseball offseason is now underway, and for the St. Louis Cardinals, this one already feels different.
Last winter was Chaim Bloom’s first in charge as president of baseball operations, and the Cardinals took a heavy swing at a rebuild. They moved Willson Contreras, Sonny Gray, Brendan Donovan and Nolan Arenado, then added a handful of smaller free-agent pieces, including Dustin May and Ramon Urias. This time around, there isn’t the same kind of veteran firepower sitting there for the taking.
So with free agency just getting started, here’s an early look at what a Cardinals 2027 Opening Day roster could look like.
Behind the plate, the three-catcher setup should be done. Ivan Herrera still has work to do defensively, and if he doesn’t make a major leap this winter, St.
Louis should move forward with Bernal as the main option and Pages as the backup. Herrera could still force his way into the picture if the defense improves, and Jimmy Crooks is another possibility, but Bernal and Pages feels like the most realistic pairing right now.
The infield picture is mostly settled, with one notable exception. Alec Burleson, JJ Wetherholt, Masyn Winn, Blaze Jordan, Thomas Saggese and Jose Fermin are projected to make up that group, and third base stands out as the only true open question.
In this version, the Cardinals don’t add outside help and instead lean on internal options, with both Jordan and Saggese capable of handling the spot. Jesus Baez is also in the mix eventually and should get a real shot there once he’s ready.
The outfield brings no surprises. Jordan Walker and Joshua Baez are set to work the corners, while Nathan Church and Victor Scott II battle for center field.
On the pitching side, the rotation projection includes Kyle Leahy, Michael McGreevy, Andre Pallante, Quinn Mathews and Jordan Montgomery. In this scenario, Matthew Liberatore is not in the starting five, with Mathews taking a rotation spot from day one and the Cardinals potentially bringing in a veteran arm. Montgomery, a familiar face, would fit that bill perfectly.
Liberatore instead lands in the bullpen, where the Cardinals still need help in a big way. That relief group also includes Riley O'Brien, Gordon Graceffo, Justin Bruihl, Luis Gastelum, Cooper Hjerpe, Ryan Fernandez and Jonathan Loaisiga.
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