Cardinals' Plan to Address Outfield Revealed by MLB Insiders

Now that the St. Louis Cardinals have traded away all of their core All-Stars who didn't fit the rebuild timeline, there's plenty of work left to do.

There's still a season to play, and even in a rebuild, the Cardinals want to field a roster with at least a few veterans who can help them weather the course of 162 games. New additions Dustin May and Ryne Stanek should help with that objective on the pitching side, and now they'll seek one more bat.

On Wednesday, Katie Woo and Will Sammon of The Athletic reported on the Cardinals' pursuit of one more outfielder, and evidently, there are some parameters the club is looking to meet that make a lot of sense.

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Cardinals want short-term commitment for righty bat

Sep 20, 2025; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Royals outfielder Randal Grichuk (15) slaps hands with Kansas City Royals first base coach Damon Hollins (39) after getting on first base during the seventh inning against the Toronto Blue Jays at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: William Purnell-Imagn Images | William Purnell-Imagn Images

Per Woo and Sammon, the Cardinals are looking for someone to balance out the lineup with a right-handed bat, and who isn't locked into a long-term deal.

"Over the last few weeks, the Cardinals have been looking to add a right-handed outfielder, though one of their targets, Austin Hays, signed with the White Sox over the weekend," Woo and Sammon wrote.

"Miguel Andujar and former Cardinal Randal Grichuk remain on the market, but Bloom could also swing a smaller trade. Any addition, whether through trade or free agency, will likely be on a one- or two-year deal."

When it comes to right-handed bats, Andujar and Grichuk are probably the two best remaining on the market, and perhaps the Cardinals could even look into another reunion with 12-year veteran Tommy Pham.

Knowing what we do now about the Cardinals' pursuits, Rob Refsnyder probably would have been a perfect fit, but he got a one-year, $6.25 million deal to join the contending Seattle Mariners.

The trade market for players that fit the description Woo and Sammon are describing doesn't seem particularly well-stocked at the moment. Someone like Taylor Ward would have fit the description early in the offseason, but he wound up going to the Baltimore Orioles, who plan on contending, for a much higher price than St. Louis would have been willing to pay.

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