The Cardinals’ 2026 season didn’t end with a playoff berth, but it still produced plenty to talk about - especially on the defensive side. St. Louis kept flashing the kind of run prevention that has become a calling card, and that showed up when the Gold Glove finalists were announced.
Three Cardinals made the cut: pitcher Michael McGreevy, shortstop Masyn Winn and infielder JJ Wetherholt. None of them came away with the hardware, though. Geraldo Perdomo beat out Winn at shortstop, Wetherholt was denied at second base by Brice Turang, and New York Mets starter Nolan McLean won the pitcher award.
McGreevy’s case was the one that stood out the most. He tied for the major league lead in defensive runs saved among pitchers with Cleveland Guardians right-hander Tanner Bibee and Chicago Cubs lefty Shota Imanaga. Chris Sale posted the best fielding percentage in that group, but McGreevy still finished with a better fielding percentage than McLean, which makes the result a little more surprising.
Wetherholt had his own strong defensive résumé. He led all major league infielders with plus-25 Outs Above Average, but Turang’s edge in defensive runs saved at second base was enough to swing the award. Wetherholt also dealt with wrist tendonitis and missed a few weeks.
Winn, meanwhile, was coming off a Gold Glove win last season even after missing the final month with a torn meniscus. This year, he again lost time, sitting out stretches in August and September because of a thumb injury.
Even with the Gold Gloves out of reach, the Cardinals still have a chance to leave 2026 with some more awards. Jordan Walker and Alec Burleson each drove in 100-plus runs, and both could be in line for Silver Slugger recognition. Wetherholt is also a finalist for Rookie of the Year, though Sal Stewart’s season for the Cincinnati Reds makes that a longshot.
For now, the Cardinals are left with the same bigger picture: no Gold Glove winners, but plenty of evidence that their defense was a strength and that the progress they made in 2026 was real.
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 🡒]