The Cardinals are expected to spend much of their offseason trying to shore up the bullpen, but third base is another spot that could use attention. St.
Louis has internal candidates in Thomas Saggese and Blaze Jordan, yet there’s still reason to question whether either is the long-term answer, especially with Jesus Baez moving up soon. Derrick Goold of the St.
Louis Post-Dispatch also noted that the Cardinals are open to a temporary solution at third base.
That kind of setup could make Enrique Hernandez an appealing name to watch.
Hernandez, 35, had a rough year at the plate in 2026 with the Los Angeles Dodgers, hitting just .222/.271/.400 with four home runs, 12 RBI and a .671 OPS. Even so, there’s still some value in his profile that could fit what St. Louis needs.
He remains a capable source of power for a utility player. Hernandez hit 12 home runs for the Dodgers in 2024 and followed with 10 in 2025, while also showing he can handle just about any position on the field. That versatility is part of the appeal.
In some ways, he’s not far off from Jose Fermin, and the Cardinals could use another player with that kind of Swiss army knife value. Hernandez also has never really been an everyday regular for the Dodgers, but he did get that opportunity in 2021 during his brief run with the Boston Red Sox. In that season, he hit 20 home runs and posted a .250/.337/.449 line with a .786 OPS.
That kind of track record gives him a case to be more than just a stopgap. He could be a stronger option to open at third base than Jordan or Saggese because he’s an established veteran who could handle an everyday role if asked.
For a Cardinals team in the middle of a rebuild, he would be the obvious choice to start in St. Louis, and he could also become a trade candidate at the deadline if the club isn’t in contention.
Compared with someone like Alec Bohm, Hernandez may be the cleaner fit, and he would also bring a bit of veteran leadership to a roster that still needs some of it.
Now it comes down to which teams show interest in Hernandez, and whether the Cardinals end up being one of them as they sort through their options at third base.
In Other News...
Cardinals Ties Could Suddenly Shape The Astros Next Dugout Move
The Astros front-office reset has a familiar Cardinals thread running through it, and it could matter quickly. Houston has brought in Randy Flores as its new general manager after parting ways with Dana Brown, and the search that led there included interviews with Brad Ausmus and Matt Kleine, with Kleine reportedly offered the job before Flores was hired. For Cardinals fans, Flores arrival is another reminder of how often St. Louis ties surface when another club starts reshaping itself.
Flores now has a short runway before the looming lockout, which means the next move has to come fast: hiring a manager. The list of names already circulating includes Ausmus, Albert Pujols, Yadier Molina and Morgan Ensberg, and the decision could say plenty about the direction Houston wants to take under its new GM. For now, the Astros dugout question is the one to watch, and the Cardinals connections are right in the middle of it. [Read more 🡒]
Cardinals 40-Man Shuffle Just Raised A Bigger Pitching Question
The Cardinals used the leaguewide shift off the 60-day injured list to start reshaping their pitching depth, making a few quiet but meaningful roster moves as the offseason begins to take form. St. Louis added left-hander Josh Fleming on a minor league deal, a familiar sort of depth play for a staff that can never have too much help, and also reinstated Max Rajcic from the 60-day injured list as the club continues sorting out its organizational arms.
One move did not stick, though, as the Cardinals tried to pass Chase Hampton through waivers and lost him to the Baltimore Orioles. With the 40-man roster sitting at 38 players, the club still has room to maneuver, but the bigger question is how much more pitching help it plans to chase before the Rule 5 draft and any possible free agent or trade additions force another round of decisions. [Read more 🡒]
Cardinals Could Turn Andre Pallante Into The Roster Help They Need
The Cardinals spent much of the season searching for ways to reshape the roster, and Andre Pallante has emerged as one of the more interesting names in that conversation. Arizona is looking for controllable starting pitching, and the Diamondbacks and Cardinals have already done business in ways that have mattered, which gives this idea a little more weight than a typical offseason rumor. Pallantes projected arbitration salary also makes him the kind of arm that can draw attention from clubs trying to add cost-controlled pitching without overcommitting long term.
For St. Louis, the appeal is straightforward: if the Cardinals are going to move a starter, they would want the return to address a real need elsewhere on the roster. Pallantes profile gives them a trade chip with value, and the match with Arizona makes some sense on paper. Still, nothing has been announced, and for now it remains one of those offseason possibilities that could quietly gain traction if both sides decide the fit is right. [Read more 🡒]