Inside The Cardinals

The Most Underrated Move of Cardinals’ Pivotal Offseason

The St. Louis Cardinals were among the most active teams in baseball.
Patrick McAvoy|
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
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

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St. Louis Cardinals

The St. Louis Cardinals will officially kick off Spring Training on Thursday and arguably are trending in the right direction.

It's easy to get caught up in the losses of the offseason, rather than the long-term vision. There's no denying the fact that the Cardinals gave up a lot of talent in Brendan Donovan, Nolan Arenado, Willson Contreras and Sonny Gray. Those are four All-Star-level players who now will call other teams home in 2026.

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The Cardinals brought in a handful of prospects in the process of trading the four away as well as two big league-level hurlers in Richard Fitts and Hunter Dobbins. Over the course of the offsesaon, these trades have been discussed over and over again, but none of them arguably are the team's most underrated move of the offseason. That title should belong to the team's signing of Dustin May in free agency.

The Cardinals have been busy

Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Dustin May
Aug 18, 2025; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Dustin May (85) delivers a pitch during the second inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Paul Rutherford-Imagn Images | Paul Rutherford-Imagn Images

May had a tough 2025 season from an ERA perspective. May appeared in 25 games overall with the Los Angeles Dodgers and Boston Red Sox and had a 4.96 ERA in 132 1/3 innings pitched. At first look, those numbers aren't great. But he actually set a new career high in innings and appearances. The story of his career to this point has been immense talent, but injuries left and right. From 2019 through 2023, May had a 3.10 ERA, but only appeared in 46 games in the majors.

The talent is there and he's on the younger side, but injuries have held him back. St. Louis brought the 28-year-old to town on a one-year, $12.5 million deal with a mutual option for the 2027 season. With this deal, the Cardinals are giving a 28-year-old a chance to show what he can do when he's fully healthy. May is going to have plenty of opportunities in 2026 with St. Louis. If he can stay healthy and return to form, he's someone who can both help the Cardinals win games and also would be a valuable summer trade candidate to send to a contender.

The trades have gotten the most buzz, but the May deal was a good one by Chaim Bloom and the organization as a whole.

More MLB: Cardinals Lose 31-Year-Old Pitcher to Marlins in Free Agency

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Patrick McAvoy
PATRICK MCAVOY

Patrick McAvoy's experiences include local and national sports coverage at the New England Sports Network with a focus on baseball and basketball. Outside of journalism, Patrick also is pursuing an MBA at Brandeis University. After quickly rising as one of the most productive writers on the site, he expanded his reach to write for Baseball Essential, a national baseball site in Sports Illustrated Media Group. For all business/marketing inquiries regarding Inside The Cardinals, please reach out to Scott Neville: nevilles@merrimack.edu

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