6 Cardinals Players Most Likely to Be Gone Before Opening Day 2027

The St. Louis Cardinals' 2026 season is over and now a long offseason begins.

On Sunday, the Cardinals wrapped up the 2026 campaign with a 6-4 loss against the National League-leading Milwaukee Brewers on the road. In fact, the Brewers swept the Cardinals in a three-game series over the weekend. Because of this, the Cardinals finished the 2026 season with a 77-85 record, one game worse than last year.

When you take into account the sheer volume of turnover from the 2025 season until now, only having one fewer win is a bit surprising, but still not enough for St. Louis. In the last year, Nolan Arenado, Brendan Donovan, Willson Contreras, Sonny Gray, Dustin May, JoJo Romero and Lars Nootbaar have all been traded. The Cardinals let the kids play. This offseason, the Cardinals need to add pitching, to say the least. Also, there will surely be more turnover. Here are seven guys who arguably are unlucky to be back in 2027.

Nolan Gorman — Infielder

Sep 23, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Nolan Gorman (16) warms up before the game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Gorman has gotten plenty of opportunities over the last few years, but he hasn't taken the step forward that the club needs. In 2026, he slashed .184/.272/.308 in 85 games with nine home runs and 33 RBIs. That's not going to cut it. At this point, either a trade or non-tender makes sense.

Ryne Stanek — Relief Pitcher

Sep 14, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Ryne Stanek (55) throws against the San Francisco Giants during the eighth inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

One thing that is true about the Cardinals is that they don't have many players scheduled to head to free agency. In fact, Stanek is the only likely free agent, outside of guys being non-tendered. He has a $6 million club option for the 2027 season, which seems unlikely.

Pedro Pages — Catcher

Sep 24, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; St. Louis Cardinals catcher Pedro Pages (43) reacts on the field before the game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Pages is a solid backup. He's good defensively and does well with the pitchers, but his bat wasn't there in 2026. His standing with the team comes down to how the Cardinals view the other young backstops. Leo Bernal should be the guy moving forward. Could Ivan Herrera be the backup? What about Jimmy Crooks? If neither of these guys, then Pages could be an option. Or, St. Louis could always go out and add another piece.

Cesar Prieto — Utility Man

May 7, 2026; San Diego, California, USA; St. Louis Cardinals center fielder Victor Scott II (11) and third baseman César Prieto (31) celebrate after the Cardinals defeated the San Diego Padres at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Denis Poroy-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Prieto played in just 16 games in the majors in 2026. In that stretch, he slashed .079/.103/.132. Not a massive sample size, but the Cardinals have a handful of utility guys at their disposal.

George Soriano — Relief Pitcher

Sep 13, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals pitcher George Soriano (65) delivers against the Chicago White Sox during the ninth inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Le-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Cardinals' bullpen needs changes to be made this winter. Soriano wasn't bad, by any means in 2026. He had a 4.23 ERA in 70 appearances. Availability is an important trait and Soriano was available in 2026. He's under team control through the 2031 season. It wouldn't be shocking to see the Cardinals give him another shot. But, again, the bullpen needs changes. Right now, he's someone to watch.

Matthew Liberatore — Starter

Sep 5, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Matthew Liberatore (32) delivers a pitch in the fourth inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Now, this would be interesting. Liberatore had a bad season. He made 31 starts and had a 5.23 ERA and a 154-to-55 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 155 innings pitched. His command actually wasn't bad, but the home run ball hurt him all season. Rather than simply moving on, the Cardinals arguably should shift him to a multi-inning bullpen role. But he's someone to watch as well.

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