Cardinals' Biggest Red Flag To Address During The Offseason

The St. Louis Cardinals have been surprisingly good this season, but amid a rough stretch, one clear area needing improvement has arisen.

Feb 26, 2021; Jupiter, Florida, USA; A general view of the St. Louis Cardinals logo on the stadium at Roger Dean Stadium during spring training workouts. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports | USA TODAY Sports

Despite falling below .500 for the first time in nearly a month, the St. Louis Cardinals have showcased tremendous promise this season, giving fans hope for the future.

The Cardinals were not expected to be a well-rounded, competitive team this season after entering a rebuild this offseason and selling off star players like Nolan Arenado and Sonny Gray. Surprisingly, St. Louis got off to a hot start, boasting a 50-45 record heading into the All-Star break, yet the team kept its eyes on the future and still acted as sellers at the trade deadline, sending away Dustin May and JoJo Romero. Since then, not so much.

The Cardinals now sit more than five games out of the final wild-card playoff spot with a 66-68 record after struggling in the second half of the season. Though it's unfortunate the Cardinals fell apart over the last month, there have been plenty of positives this season that fans should be excited about.

Players like JJ Wetherholt and Jordan Walker have taken massive steps forward in their development, becoming key pieces for St. Louis' future. They aren't the only ones. Alec Burleson has quickly become a face of the franchise, and as the Cardinals focus on player development, other talented young players have had the opportunity to make an impact.

St. Louis' bullpen needs improvement

Sep 5, 2023; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; A detailed view of the hat and glove of St. Louis Cardinals second baseman Nolan Gorman (not pictured) before a game against the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

Despite all the positives the Cardinals have had this season, there are red flags to address this offseason. One of the biggest ones is the bullpen. St. Louis' bullpen collectively has produced a 4.48 ERA, ranking No. 24 in the league. What's even more surprising is how no reliever who's logged more than five innings has an ERA below 3.10.

"Sixteen pitchers have logged more than five innings of relief for the Cardinals in 2026. Not one of them has done so with a sub-3.10 ERA, nor a sub-3.40 FIP," Bleacher Report's Kerry Miller wrote on Wednesday. "Even the woebegone A's, Rockies and Nationals bullpens have at least had a couple of somewhat reliable arms, but Cardinals relievers have been mediocre or worse across the board. There should be some serious revamping this winter."

Riley O'Brien has been great for the Cardinals this year, posting the third-most saves in the league, but even he has had his share of struggles. St. Louis appears to be ahead of schedule in its rebuild, but if the Cardinals truly want to contend in the future, they need to address their bullpen issues.