Cardinals $55 Million Man Wants To Return In 2026

The St. Louis Cardinals are going to have a lot of decisions to make this upcoming offseason and the starting rotation specifically will be worth watching.

The reason for this, is because outside of Michael McGreevy and Matthew Liberatore, anything could happen. These two seem like the only givens for 2026. Sonny Gray is under contract, but there surely will be trade rumors about him. He has a no-trade clause so if he wants to stay, he will. But, will he return?

Andre Pallante is just 26 years old and is having a tough season with a 5.34 ERA in 29 starts, but it wouldn't be a shock if he's back in the rotation next year. There isn't a ton of depth down in the minors on the big league doorstep. Quinn Matthews is a guy who fits that description, but not many after him.

The other guy worth watching is Miles Mikolas. He's a polarizing figure for this Cardinals team. He's been with St. Louis since 2018 and has been an All-Star and has really struggled at times. There have been calls for the team to move on from him throughout the season at times, but Mikolas has still consistently taken the mound every week for the organization. That type of consistency is important, plus he has been significantly better than he was in 2024. Right now, he has a 4.80 ERA in 29 starts. Last year, he had a 5.35 ERA in 32 starts.

Mikolas hasn't allowed over two earned runs since August 22nd and has a 3.82 ERA over his last seven starts overall.

When the season comes to an end, Mikolas' three-year, $55.75 million deal will expire making him a free agent.

It's unclear if he will be back, but he made it clear that he is at least interested in a return, as shared by Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

Will the Cardinals consider a reunion?

Sep 14, 2025; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Miles Mikolas (39) throws against the Milwaukee Brewers in the first inning at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images | Benny Sieu-Imagn Images

"For years, Mikolas, a native of Jupiter, Florida, has talked openly about wanting to remain a Cardinal, and his most recent contract had the no-trade clause that gave him that power," Goold said. "He would welcome an offer from the team and its new front office leadership to return for 2026. He made his pitch Sunday with a nod toward his next start, which could be his final start as a Cardinal at Busch Stadium, and how to view his recent performances.

"That’s up for teams and the front office to decide,” Mikolas said as shared by Goold. “I know my numbers are pretty good this year (at home). If they need someone to just pitch at Busch Stadium – one of those Roger Clemens deals. I’ll just pitch at home. All joking aside, yeah, I love baseball. It’s a big part of my life. I’m trying to finish strong to try and increase my chance of landing somewhere next year. We’ll see. We’ll see what happens."

He's making a case for himself right now. St. Louis is going to have to fill out this rotation for 2026. It seems like some sort of rebuild is coming. Spotrac currently is projecting Mikolas' market value to be just over $8 million across one year. If that actually ends up being the type of deal the market dictates, then it may make sense to consider a reunion for 2026 as a veteran arm for the rotation, specifically if the team cuts ties with Gray in a trade.

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