Cardinals Floated as Landing Spot for Former Rival Outfielder in Free Agency

The Cardinals could be willing to take a flyer on a former Reds outfielder in free agency.

May 4, 2025; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; New York Mets outfielder Jesse Winker (3) is congratulated in the dugout after hitting a sacrifice fly to left, scoring teammate Juan Soto (not shown) against the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Vizer-Imagn Images | Tim Vizer-Imagn Images

The St. Louis Cardinals are in the middle of the biggest rebuild they've done in a long time. After struggling to contend for the last few years, the Cardinals blew up their roster this offseason.

They've made quite a few moves to bolster the future of the franchise. With prospects like JJ Wetherholt and plenty of others making their way to the big leagues, it seems like the Cardinals' best days are ahead of them. But they could still look to add some veterans to help keep the roster competitive for the time being.

Bleacher Report's Zachary Rymer recently suggested the Cardinals could be a landing spot for veteran free agent outfielder Jesse Winker this offseason. Winker most recently played with the New York Mets last season, but he was at his best with the Cincinnati Reds earlier in his career, so Cardinals fans are likely pretty familiar with the veteran outfielder.

Cardinals could take a shocking chance on Jesse Winker

May 1, 2025; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets designated hitter Jesse Winker (3) runs out a double against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the eighth inning at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images | Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

"After something of a career revival in 2024, Jesse Winker never really got his 2025 season off the ground before a back injury finally ended it for good in September," Rymer wrote. "So, there's that. And despite what happened in 2024, the reality is that Winker has been a replacement-level player (or worse) in three of the last four seasons. His All-Star season in 2021 might as well be eons ago. And yet, he has a .836 OPS and 128 wRC+ against righties for his career. As most pitchers throw righty, ability like that can't simply be ignored."

Winker could be added to fill the role of the injured Lars Nootbaar. Nootbaar underwent double heel surgery this offseason and hasn't been close to a return to the field since. He found himself on the injured list to begin the year, and it's unclear if he's going to make a debut during the first half of the season.

As a result, the Cardinals could add Winker to be a platoon outfielder. He has crushed righties over the course of his career, though he hasn't been nearly as productive over the last few years. Still, he could fit the Cardinals roster. The best-case scenario sees him join the Cardinals, crush pitching during the first half of the year, and find himself traded for prospects at the trade deadline.

It would fit perfectly for the Cardinals.