Cardinals' One Free Agent Target Who Makes Too Much Sense

The St. Louis Cardinals should be in the market for more legit starter.

Aug 20, 2026; St. Petersburg, Florida, USA; Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Shane Bieber (57) throws a pitch against the Tampa Bay Rays in the first inning at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Last offseason, the St. Louis Cardinals invested in a starting pitcher in free agency and it was one of the best overall moves the club made in 2026.

St. Louis signed Dustin May and he delivered. May gave the Cardinals a legit chance to win pretty much every time he touched the hill and also was dealt away ahead of the 2026 trade deadline and helped to bring two high-end prospects back. The Cardinals traded May and JoJo Romero to the Milwaukee Brewers and got No. 5 prospect Alexander Frias and No. 11 prospect Josiah Ragsdale. All in all, the signing of May was an elite move in general.

This offseason, the Cardinals should strike in a similar way with Shane Bieber being the guy to target. It's important to note that the Cardinals were really not that far away from being a playoff team in 2026. Arguably, if the bullpen was better, they would've been in. Also, the Cardinals could've used one more starter as Matthew Liberatore was struggling.

The Cardinals Should Target Shane Bieber

Jul 10, 2026; San Diego, California, USA; Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Shane Bieber (57) delivers during the first inning against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Denis Poroy-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Bieber is the type of guy who would make the team better in the short term and then could be like May and bring a good return back, if the Cardinals tried to deal him. Bieber has a 3.31 career ERA in 154 big league appearances and he's a former Cy Young Award winner. When the Cardinals signed May, he had upside, but he never had the type of success Bieber did when he was at his best.

Injuries are what have derailed Bieber over the last few years. He made just 20 appearances in total over the last three seasons. If the Blue Jays had made the playoffs, Bieber would've been ready to roll. So, his health shouldn't be a massive concern as we approach free agency. He's just 31 years old. Like May, it wouldn't be shocking to see Bieber land some sort of one-year, prove-it deal with an option. The Cardinals have shown that they can keep their starters healthy, which would be a positive for a guy who has had injury troubles.

When Bieber is healthy and at his best, he is a legit No. 1 ace. If the Cardinals had a guy like that to pair with their young starters, we could very well be talking about a playoff team, especially if they were to add a few bullpen arms. If not, then Bieber could be traded, like May. When free agency opens, Bieber is the guy for St. Louis to target.