Cardinals’ Offseason Strategy Comes With Small But Notable Caveat

Fans may need to temper their expectations a little bit.

Mar 7, 2019; Port Charlotte, FL, USA; Tampa Bay Rays senior vice president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom looks on before a game against the Toronto Blue Jays at Charlotte Sports Park. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-Imagn Images | Kim Klement-Imagn Images

The St. Louis Cardinals will soon be a very active team this offseason. Under Chaim Bloom, St. Louis has a lot of work to do to rebuild and set themselves up well for the future.

They are likely to trade several players and could also be more active in free agency than they were last offseason under John Mozeliak. There are more reasons to be optimistic about this winter than in previous years, even if the team isn’t contending in 2026.

However, this all comes with a bit of a catch, according to Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

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Cardinals May Be Quiet Again In Free Agency

Sep 7, 2025; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Sonny Gray (54) throws in the first inning against the San Francisco Giants at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Vizer-Imagn Images | Tim Vizer-Imagn Images

“The Cardinals let agents know that their interest this winter in some free agents will hinge on moving salary in trades, per multiple sources,” Goold wrote.

Much like last offseason, a lot depends on the trades they’ll make. If they can shed salary, they could be in the mix for more free agents.

But if they can’t move players like Nolan Arenado and Sonny Gray, they may be stuck with a very similar roster to 2025 in some ways. Regardless, fans shouldn’t expect major moves unless a player’s market stalls.

But this could mean that another slow offseason is on the horizon in terms of free agency. They’ll try to make trades that cut salary, but if they can’t, then they may not have much to choose from if they do dive into the free agent market.

They may have to focus on more bargain-type moves. So, instead of them landing somebody like Max Scherzer, they may have to go with pitchers such as Dustin May or Walker Buehler, who would help the Cardinals in 2026, but not bring the same excitement as a bigger name would.

This is certainly going to be an interesting offseason for the Cardinals. But a lot of what they do may depend on if they can move Gray and Arenado, and neither player is a sure thing to be dealt.

It appears that shedding payroll is once again going to be a focus for St. Louis, or at least creating more flexibility with their payroll as they start their rebuild and focus on the future rather than contending in the present.

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