The teams still playing in October are sending the Cardinals a pretty clear message: pitching travels.
That’s the biggest lesson St. Louis can take from the Brewers and the Rays, two clubs that have shown how far a roster can go without the kind of $400 million payroll that usually dominates the conversation.
Milwaukee and Tampa Bay are both built to win the right way, with staffs that give them a chance every night. The Rays, in particular, are proof of how quickly things can turn when the foundation is strong enough - they won just 77 games last year, the same total as St.
Louis in 2026, and now they’re in position to chase a title.
For the Cardinals, that comparison points straight to the obvious problem: they still need much more pitching.
Milwaukee and Tampa Bay both made their regular-season success off run prevention. The Rays finished with the third-best rotation ERA in the league at 3.51, while the Brewers were right behind them at 3.61, fifth in the majors.
Milwaukee’s staff has been led by the likely 2026 NL Cy Young Award winner Jacob Misiorowski, and the Brewers also have Logan Henderson and Robert Gasser in their playoff rotation. Tampa Bay has been anchored by Drew Rasmussen, with Freddy Peralta, Griffin Jax, Shane McClanahan and Nick Martinez also part of the mix.
That’s the kind of depth the Cardinals are still chasing. St.
Louis did make progress in 2026, but it wasn’t enough to put the club in the conversation with the teams that can truly threaten in October. The Cardinals finished with the 12th-best staff ERA at 4.17, and while that’s a step forward, it still leaves plenty of room to climb.
There are reasons for optimism. Kyle Leahy, Andre Pallante, Michael McGreevy and Quinn Mathews all showed positive signs in 2026, and those young arms could help the Cardinals over the long haul. But that only gets them part of the way there.
What St. Louis does not have right now is the kind of front-line starter that changes the shape of a rotation.
The Cardinals can’t build around a group that would profile as a No. 3 or No. 4 starter on a playoff club and expect that to be enough. They need an ace to go with the rest of the staff.
Maybe that arm is already in the system. Liam Doyle, Tanner Franklin and Jurrangelo Cijntje are down in the minors, though none has reached the majors yet, so there’s no telling how soon - or if - one of them becomes that guy. Maybe the answer comes from outside the organization.
Either way, the blueprint is on display right now. The Cardinals need their own version of Misiorowski and Rasmussen before they can seriously talk about being a contender again.
In Other News...
Cardinals Bullpen Questions Just Got Bigger Around One Key All-Star
The Cardinals spent the trade deadline reshaping their roster and their future, dealing veteran pieces such as Dustin May, JoJo Romero and Lars Nootbaar to stock the farm system. Through it all, Riley O'Brien stayed put, even with his name floating through trade chatter as one of the clubs most valuable bullpen arms after a season that included an All-Star nod and a share of the National League saves lead.
Kyle Gibson has only added a new wrinkle to that conversation by suggesting on a podcast that O'Brien could surface as a trade candidate this offseason. St. Louis does control the closer through 2030, which gives the club plenty of leverage, but it also leaves the Cardinals facing another familiar bullpen question: whether to keep building around a proven late-inning arm or use his value to help accelerate the next phase of the roster shuffle. [Read more 🡒]
Albert Pujols Suddenly Feels Closer To A Surprising Managerial Opening
The Angels decision to decline Kurt Suzukis option for 2027 has opened up a managerial search that already feels like it could have a St. Louis flavor to it. John Mozeliak is serving as the interim general manager in Los Angeles, and one of the first names expected to come up is Albert Pujols, whose post-playing rsum already includes managing in the Dominican Winter League and the World Baseball Classic.
There is also another Cardinals connection in the mix. Randy Flores, St. Louis assistant general manager, is viewed as a candidate for the Angels front-office job, which only adds to the possibility that this search could wind up circling back to familiar names for Cardinals fans. Pujols has been considered for other managerial openings before, and with the Angels now under Stan Kroenkes ownership, the tie to St. Louis sports makes this one feel a little less far-fetched than it might have a few months ago. [Read more 🡒]
Cardinals Could Be Near A Tough Nolan Gorman Decision
Nolan Gormans future is one of the more interesting decisions sitting in the Cardinals offseason pile, because the club can keep him around without committing major money, but it also has to weigh whether the fit still makes sense. Since 2023, he has hit below .205, and his .184 average in 2026 only sharpened the questions around a player who once looked like a long-term piece in St. Louis.
The Cardinals also have internal options at third base, which gives them some flexibility if they decide the roster is better served by moving on. Gorman still has two years of team control left, and his arbitration salary is projected around $3.4 million, so tendering him a contract would not be a major financial burden. Even so, the more likely path may be to keep the door open while exploring trade possibilities this winter, leaving the club with a decision that is practical on paper but tougher in reality. [Read more 🡒]