Cardinals Under Fire for Unpopular $12.5 Million Offseason Signing

The Cardinals opted to spend some money in free agency, but it might not have been the best move...

Feb 14, 2026; Jupiter, FL, USA; St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Dustin May (3) pitches during spring training at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

The St. Louis Cardinals are very clearly rebuilding right now. They opted to trade away a slew of veterans this offseason and are seemingly leaning heavily on the farm system going forward.

But they still spent a bit of money in free agency, spending around $16 million this offseason, with a large chunk of it coming in one deal.

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Bleacher Report's Tim Kelly recently suggested the Cardinals decision to sign free agent Dustin May to a one-year, $12.5 million deal could come back to haunt them, as Kelly called it one of the biggest potential bust signings of the offseason.

Dustin May might not have been the best investment for St. Louis

Feb 14, 2026; Jupiter, FL, USA; St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Dustin May (3) arrives for a workout during spring training at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

"Dustin May is the type of pitcher that it makes sense for Chaim Bloom and a rebuilding Cardinals team to take a risk on. That doesn't mean that there isn't still a chance—maybe a high chance, even—that May doesn't work out," Kelly wrote. "May accumulated enough service time to become a free agent this offseason, despite injuries limiting him to just 324 innings pitched over his first six seasons, a period that he spent primarily with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

"To be fair, May has a 3.86 career ERA. However, according to FanGraphs, both his sinker and cutter had negative pitch values last season when he logged a career-high 132.1 innings between the Dodgers and Red Sox. Again, May is only 28 and the Cardinals are rebuilding, so he's an intriguing person to take a shot on. But if history is any indication, he'll spend much of his one-year, $12 million deal on the injured list."

May has the potential to be a big-league starter. He was excellent during his time with the Los Angeles Dodgers. The righty has some of the better stuff in the league.

But injuries crushed him over the last few years, causing him to be a negative WAR player last season. Still, he's in the perfect position to bounce back with the Cardinals and a lot less pressure on his shoulders.

Even if he does struggle, the Cardinals aren't going to be crushed. He's only attached to a one-year deal during a rebuild. If he struggles, the team could move on from him at the end of the season.

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