Inside The Cardinals

9 Players Cardinals Reportedly Want To Keep In 2026

The St. Louis Cardinals have been busy already...
Patrick McAvoy|
Apr 24, 2022; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; A view of St. Louis Cardinals players hats and gloves in the dugout during a game with the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: David Kohl-Imagn Images
Apr 24, 2022; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; A view of St. Louis Cardinals players hats and gloves in the dugout during a game with the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: David Kohl-Imagn Images | David Kohl-Imagn Images

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St. Louis Cardinals

The big story of the offseason for the St. Louis Cardinals has been all of the guys who could end up being traded by the organization.

You know the names by now. Nolan Arenado, Sonny Gray, Brendan Donovan, and others have been consistently discussed as trade chips. But, what about the guys who could end up sticking around? Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch was asked this very question and noted that Masyn Winn isn't the only guy the Cardinals don't want to trade.

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"Winn is not alone," Goold said when asked if Winn is the only guy not available. "The Cardinals are not eager to trade (Matthew Liberatore), (Iván Herrera), (Victor Scott), (JJ Wetherholt), (Pedro Pagés), (Alec Burleson), (Kyle Leahy), (Riley O'Brien) ... They're open for business and interested in talking trade. They aren't trying to clear the shelves of talent."

The Cardinals aren't looking to move everyone

St. Louis Cardinals shortstop Masyn Winn
Aug 26, 2025; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals shortstop Masyn Winn (0) walks back to the dugout after striking out against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the second inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

Of the nine players mentioned by Goold, the guy who arguably is the biggest surprise is Pagés. The Cardinals are loaded at catcher right now. In the big leagues alone, the Cardinals had Pagés, Herrera, Jimmy Crooks, and Yohel Pozo all get time in 2025. That's in part because Herrera got hurt and transitioned out of the position for most of the season.

But, the expectation is that Herrera will be back behind the plate in 2026. Plus, the Cardinals have two more top prospects working their way through the minors right now in No. 3 prospect Rainiel Rodriguez and No. 4 prospect Leonardo Bernal. Bernal was just added to the 40-man roster on Tuesday.

Crooks is the No. 6 prospect for the organization. All of this is to say, that there is a lot of catching talent on the team right now so it's surprising that the club may not want to trade out of the logjam.

None of the other names comes as a shock, really. It's interesting that Jordan Walker's name wasn't mentioned, but that doesn't mean the club is actively looking to make a move.

More MLB: Cardinals-Astros Rumors Growing Around 28-Year-Old All-Star

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Patrick McAvoy
PATRICK MCAVOY

Patrick McAvoy's experiences include local and national sports coverage at the New England Sports Network with a focus on baseball and basketball. Outside of journalism, Patrick also is pursuing an MBA at Brandeis University. After quickly rising as one of the most productive writers on the site, he expanded his reach to write for Baseball Essential, a national baseball site in Sports Illustrated Media Group. For all business/marketing inquiries regarding Inside The Cardinals, please reach out to Scott Neville: nevilles@merrimack.edu

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