The Two Biggest Ways Cardinals Can Bolster Roster This Offseason Are Clear

The St. Louis Cardinals were surprisingly successful this season, but their second-half falloff made a few of the team's needs crystal clear.

Aug 15, 2015; St. Louis, MO, USA; A detailed view of a baseball glove and St. Louis Cardinals hat in the dugout during the game between the Cardinals and the Miami Marlins at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Although the St. Louis Cardinals will likely finish the regular season with a losing record for the second straight year, this year should still be considered a success.

After entering a full-scale rebuild last year, the Cardinals were not expected to be a good team this season. St. Louis defied expectations, stayed in the thick of the playoff race for most of the season, and got a better sense of which players were essential to the team's future, especially after breakout seasons from Jordan Walker, JJ Wetherholt, and Alec Burleson.

It may still be a couple of seasons before the Cardinals can compete as a true contender again, but the team boasted a 50-45 record heading into the All-Star break this year. St. Louis' second-half falloff this season made it clear the team needs to improve in a few areas. The two biggest ways the Cardinals can bolster their roster this offseason are clear: adding a front-end starting pitcher and improving the bullpen.

Starting Rotation

Sep 5, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Kyle Leahy (62) prepares to deliver a pitch in the first inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Cardinals' starting rotation was a bright spot this season, posting a 4.12 ERA, which ranked No. 11 in the league. Michael McGreevy and Andre Pallante are both solid pitchers, but not necessarily top rotation options. Although Kyle Leahy was great in his first full season as a starting pitcher, it would be a lot to ask him to lead the rotation.

St. Louis has some interesting internal options as well in Quinn Mathews, Liam Doyle, Tanner Franklin and Jurrangelo Cijntje, but the likelihood of them stepping into a leading role in the rotation so early in their careers is low. The Cardinals have solid pitching depth for their rotation heading into next season, but adding a front-end starter could elevate the rotation to a new level and push the team further along in their rebuild.

Bullpen

Sep 19, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Riley O'Brien (61) delivers against the Washington Nationals during the tenth inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Le-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The other area St. Louis desperately needs improvement in is the bullpen. The Cardinals have blown 30 saves this season and have the seventh-worst bullpen ERA in baseball at 4.52. Riley O'Brien has been somewhat inconsistent, but he does lead the National League with 38 saves.

"While there are multiple young arms making strong impressions, the Cardinals’ bullpen will have to improve if the club wants to win at a high level," MLB.com's Josh Jacobs wrote on Monday. "The Cardinals have spent the past couple years unloading relievers at the Trade Deadline and bargain shopping for reinforcements in the offseason. While that strategy will likely remain in place next season, perhaps some added payroll flexibility this offseason will allow president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom to target some higher-end options to hold down leads."

St. Louis appears to be ahead of schedule in its rebuild, yet it would still be surprising to see the team pursue some of the top names available this offseason. However, that doesn't mean the Cardinals won't go and try to improve their roster.

The Cardinals have plenty of promising prospects nearing the big leagues after a flurry of trades in the past year, but should still look to bolster their pitching staff in the offseason.