The Cardinals’ offseason checklist is already obvious, and the starting rotation sits near the top of it. With free agency open and a lockout looming in December, St. Louis may not have the luxury of waiting around.
One name that keeps popping up for the Cardinals is Trevor Rogers. The Athletic’s Tim Britton, Johnny Flores Jr. and Chad Jennings listed St. Louis among the best fits for the left-hander, alongside the Braves, White Sox, Rays and Nationals.
“The lefty Rogers revived his career over the last season-and-a-half with the Orioles, belatedly fulfilling the promise he’d shown as a rookie in Miami,” Britton, Flores Jr. and Jennings wrote. “He’s not quite as good as the 1.81 ERA he flashed in 2025, but he pitched better than the 4.03 ERA he posted last season; a signing team should expect a number starting with a three moving forward. ... Best fits:[Atlanta Braves], [Chicago White Sox], STL, [Tampa Bay Rays], [Washington Nationals].”
Rogers is coming off a 2026 season in which he posted a 4.03 ERA over 30 starts, with 157 strikeouts and 39 walks across 169 2/3 innings. The year before, he was even sharper, turning in a 1.81 ERA in 18 starts and 109 2/3 innings.
At 28, Rogers fits the profile of the kind of pitcher St. Louis has targeted before.
The Cardinals weren’t especially aggressive in free agency last offseason, but they did land Dustin May, another younger arm who was viewed as one of the more intriguing names available. They pushed hard for him and got it done.
That history, combined with the current need in the rotation, makes Rogers look like a natural Cardinals target. And with St. Louis’ payroll sitting so low, the club has the room to chase him even if The Athletic’s four-year, $84 million projection ends up being the price.
Rogers owns a 3.88 ERA in 132 major league appearances, and the Cardinals should be right in the mix if they decide to act quickly.
In Other News...
Cardinals Just Made Another Springfield Change Fans Will Want Explained
The Cardinals are making another notable change in Springfield, where Patrick Anderson will not return as manager of the clubs Double-A affiliate for the 2027 season. Anderson had been in charge since 2025, and during his time there he guided the team to a Texas League championship while keeping it in the hunt for a repeat the following year.
It is the latest shift for a Springfield operation that has already gone through a rebranding, moving from the Springfield Cardinals to the Ozarks Springbirds. With a new identity in place and a successful run under Anderson now ending, the organization is again reshaping one of its most visible player-development stops, leaving plenty of interest in what comes next for the club and who will be in the dugout. [Read more 🡒]
Cardinals Bullpen Search May Reveal What Kind Of Move Theyll Make
The Cardinals are still shopping for bullpen help before the lockout, and the search itself says plenty about how they may approach the rest of the winter. Their relief corps was a problem area this season with a 4.40 ERA, so adding another arm is a clear priority, but the kind of arm they target could tell you whether they are thinking bigger-picture or simply trying to patch a hole for now.
One name tied to the market is left-hander Adrian Morejon, who would fit the need for another bullpen option. The catch is that he is expected to look for a long-term deal, and that is probably not the lane St. Louis wants to drive in. The Cardinals appear more inclined to chase shorter-term additions, the sort of moves that can help immediately and still leave open the possibility of flipping a reliever later for prospects. [Read more 🡒]
Cardinals Rotation Plans Could Put Pressure On Matthew Liberatore
The Cardinals got more out of their starting rotation than many expected this season, with Kyle Leahy and a handful of younger arms helping stabilize a staff that looked like a question mark on paper. Even so, the picture has shifted with Dustin May traded away and Hunter Dobbins sidelined by injury, leaving Matthew Liberatore in the mix for what could be the final rotation job as St. Louis looks ahead to next year.
Liberatores case is complicated by the inconsistency that has followed him, and the front office may not be eager to hand him a spot without adding more certainty around the group. Jim Bowden reported that the Cardinals are interested in signing a veteran starter this offseason to anchor the rotation and help the bullpen, a move that would add competition and make the path to innings even less secure for the left-hander. [Read more 🡒]