Cardinals 'Plan To Take A Look' At Possible Roster Upgrades, Per Insider

Who will the Cardinals land in free agency if they add a piece?

Feb 26, 2021; Jupiter, Florida, USA; A general view of the St. Louis Cardinals logo on the stadium at Roger Dean Stadium during spring training workouts. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-Imagn Images | Jasen Vinlove-Imagn Images

The St. Louis Cardinals went 78-84 in 2025 and missed the postseason for the third consecutive year. It was also their second losing season in the last three years.

Following the end of the season, John Mozeliak stepped down as president of baseball operations and gave way to Chaim Bloom, who is being tasked with beginning a rebuild that will hopefully bring the Cardinals back to where they once were before falling on hard times.

With the offseason looming, the Cardinals will have some tough decisions to make, but might they look to add a few pieces? That was something they didn't do much of heading into 2025.

Cardinals Could Potentially Add Starting Pitching Help

Apr 24, 2022; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; A view of St. Louis Cardinals players hats and gloves in the dugout during a game with the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: David Kohl-Imagn Images | David Kohl-Imagn Images

Daniel Guerrero of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch revealed in his Cardinals' chat that the team will be looking into making some upgrades to their starting rotation for 2026.

"I’d point out it really will take shape this winter. Count Sonny Gray alongside Matthew Liberatore and Michael McGreevy IF Gray isn’t traded this winter. Kyle Leahy and Andre Pallante will compete for spots next spring. As noted in this chat, the Cardinals plan to take a look at the starting pitcher market to fill openings in the rotation, too," Guerrero said.

The Cardinals can likely expect the offseason to be much different than previous offseasons. They also are unlikely to make any big splashes. But there are plenty of bargain starters that they could target in order to boost their rotation.

Options such as Walker Buehler, Zack Littell, Nick Martinez and Andrew Heaney will be available. Even starters such as Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander will be on the market, though they might prefer to pitch for contenders.

Still, there are ways that the Cardinals can add to their roster for the 2026 season, even though they are rebuilding. Adding a starter especially makes sense due to the possibility that Sonny Gray could be traded away.

But fans shouldn't expect anything flashy for the Cardinals. More than likely, any addition will be a short-term fix to the rotation and not one that sets them up for a postseason run in 2026. But it will still be interesting to see what the Cardinals decide to do with their rotation in the coming months. There are ways to add pieces that can get them through the 2026 season.

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