Cardinals Will Pursue Rotation Upgrades: What It Means For 2026

The St. Louis Cardinals have an important offseason ahead of them as they prepare for the 2026 season. With Chaim Bloom taking over for John Mozeliak just in time for a rebuild, it's clear that the Cardinals aren't looking to contend next season, and would rather focus on the future.

Still, this offseason should be much more active than the last. Players are expected to be traded, and Bloom has even stated than he wants to add certain pieces to the roster for next season.

That includes starting pitching, and Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch discussed in his weekly chat who their potential options could be.

Cardinals Expected To Pursue Pitching In 2026

Aug 28, 2022; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Chaim Bloom, Chief Baseball Officer of the Boston Red Sox on the field before the game between the Boston Red Sox and the Tampa Bay Rays at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-Imagn Images | Winslow Townson-Imagn Images

"A shorter-term, bounce-back deal that allows the Cardinals to pursue a starter who wants guaranteed innings/starts and gives them the possibility of then holding on if it works or trading him at the deadline for younger players -- that seems like a good formula. Nick Martinez would be interesting. There are a few bounce-back candidates with Cardinals ties -- like Jordan Montgomery -- who fit that profile as well, but he's coming off injury. Tomoyuki Sugano would also fit that description. I've wondered if a trade for Kyle Freeland makes a lot of sense when you look at his profile, his contract, and what the Cardinals need and could do. That list will grow and shift as more details become available as the market reveals itself," Goold wrote.

There will be plenty of affordable options available for Bloom to choose from, but Goold made sure to not get anybody's hopes up with false promises of a big name.

If the Cardinals are targeting pitching this offseason, then it likely means that Sonny Gray will be traded to a contender to shed salary and clear spots for younger arms. They also may choose to add arms in a different way.

Rather than just focusing on free agency, St. Louis could also use the trade market to land a starting pitcher, especially one with several years of control left. To get the best possible options in trades, the Cardinals would likely have to part ways with some popular players such as Brendan Donovan, Nolan Arenado, Gray and potentially Lars Nootbaar or Alec Burleson.

Either way, fans can expect a much more interesting offseason in terms of moves being made. We'll see which routes the Cardinals take to upgrade their staff.

More MLB: Cardinals Expected To Trade 3x All-Star Pitcher, Should Sell High: Insider