Cardinals Can't Afford to Repeat This Offseason Mistake

The Cardinals fell short in this area last offseason.

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

The St. Louis Cardinals have another important offseason ahead of them this winter. Unlike last year, the Cardinals likely won't be trading players away. They shipped out Sonny Gray, Willson Contreras, Nolan Arenado and Brendan Donovan last winter.

They still added on the margins, and this offseason may be similar in that regard. Last offseason, they signed three free agents, Ramon Urias, Dustin May and Ryne Stanek.

However, the bullpen fell apart quickly for this team and ultimately was the main reason it fell out of contention at the end of the season. If the Cardinals want to be better in 2027, they can't afford to repeat the mistake of not adding more to the bullpen.

Cardinals need to invest in more bullpen help

Sep 13, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Brewers pitcher JoJo Romero (33) throws a pitch in the sixth inning against the Cincinnati Reds at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Cardinals have some good pieces already in their bullpen such as Riley O'Brien, Gordon Graceffo and Luis Gastelum, but even they ran out of gas towards the end of the season. Stanek may not be back, but there will be some solid arms available in free agency.

Former Cardinal JoJo Romero is a free agent at the end of the season. St. Louis sent him to the Milwaukee Brewers along with Dustin May at the trade deadline. A second arm with closing experience would be beneficial for them as well so they have somebody they can use on days O'Brien isn't available.

Romero makes a lot of sense because he was their high-leverage left-hander until he was traded, and the bullpen certainly missed that presence after he was dealt. The Cardinals will need more in terms of quality and quantity, and it wouldn't be a bad idea to splurge a little on some bigger arms so that their bullpen can be strong in 2027.

A lot of their young arms tired out at the end of the year, so adding some veteran presences to guide the young pitchers would make sense, and it also wouldn't force them to deviate from their plans to rebuild.

Perhaps 2027 could be the year that the Cardinals take another step forward towards getting back to contention, but more bullpen help will make that easier, and that should be priority No. 1 as the offseason gets underway.

Bloom has made some solid under-the-radar moves in the past, but a mix of that and some splashy signings for the bullpen should make the 2027 season a lot more enjoyable for the team and Cardinals fans.