Every Major Contract Decision Facing the Cardinals This Offseason

The offseason came earlier than the St. Louis Cardinals had hoped for, but with it come important decisions that need to be made about the future of some of the team's top players.

As the Cardinals leaned into a full-scale rebuild, president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom did well over the summer and at the trade deadline to stock the organization's farm system with young, controllable talent. Heading into the offseason, St. Louis surprisingly has only one player who will become a free agent: Ryne Stanek, since the team is unlikely to pick up his $6 million club option for 2027.

Though the Cardinals don't have many impending free agents to worry about, the team still has plenty of contract decisions to make this offseason. The Cardinals have nine players eligible for arbitration this offseason, including stars like Iván Herrera, Andre Pallante, Matthew Liberatore and Masyn Winn, but even more pressing is whether the team will hand out extensions to star sluggers Jordan Walker and Alec Burleson.

Jordan Walker

The Cardinals have a difficult decision to make about when to consider extending Walker. After back-to-back rough seasons, the 24-year-old exploded onto the scene this year, slashing .269/.327/.466 with 29 home runs and 102 runs batted in. Walker earned his first All-Star selection and showcased why he should be a big part of the Cardinals' future.

Walker is under team control through the 2029 season, but that doesn't mean St. Louis can't attempt to extend the star outfielder sooner. If Walker continues to produce at the level he did this season, his eventual price tag is only going to rise. The Cardinals showed they're willing to sign big extensions this season with JJ Wetherholt's eight-year, $112.5 million deal, and Walker will likely command an even larger extension to secure him through his peak years.

Alec Burleson

Burleson, like Walker, had a breakout year and is under team control through the 2028 season. The 27-year-old has spent all five seasons of his young career with the Cardinals and has become the first player in franchise history to lead the league in RBIs. Burleson slashed .279/.343/.473 with 26 home runs and 116 runs batted in and has been one of the most consistent pieces of the Cardinals' lineup over the past few seasons.

Though he's expressed interest in a long-term extension, it would likely be difficult to extend both Burleson and Walker, so if the team elects to hand out a big extension, it would likely be to only one of the two star sluggers.

Matthew Liberatore

Liberatore is an interesting piece of the Cardinals' pitching staff. Despite his disappointing struggles this season, posting a 5.23 ERA, the 26-year-old has been one of the most consistent pieces of the Cardinals' starting rotation over the past two seasons. Liberatore has made 60 starts in the past two years and is under team control through the 2029 season.

Though St. Louis likely won't extend Liberatore this offseason, the bigger decision is whether the team should keep the veteran pitcher. Liberatore is a durable, controllable arm, but with some of the talented young hurlers climbing through the Cardinals' farm system, it may be smart to part ways with the 26-year-old.

In addition to these three players, the Cardinals will have to decide how to handle some of their other arbitration-eligible players. Herrera earned his first All-Star selection this season and is likely due for a payday; Pallante is one of the team's best starting pitchers and Winn has established himself as a solid middle infielder.

St. Louis is further ahead in its rebuild than expected, but luckily, the team still has some time to make decisions on key players over the next year.

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