After a 78-84 record in 2025 prompted the Cardinals to (finally) go into a full rebuild, the team’s record dropped to just 77-85 this year.  Even after selling at the deadline, the Cards still stayed within range of a wild card slot and held a .500 record into the first week of September before fading.  With some progress already being made, the next team’s next step is deciding how to further develop and add to the promising young core.

Guaranteed Contracts

• JJ Wetherholt, SS: $110.5MM through 2034

Option Decisions

• Ryne Stanek, RP: $6MM club option for 2027 ($1MM buyout)

Other Financial Commitments

• $9MM to Diamondbacks to cover portion of Nolan Arenado’s 2027 salary
• $4MM to Red Sox to cover portion of Willson Contreras’ 2027 salary

2027 guarantees: $16.5MM (if Stanek’s option isn’t exercised)
Total future commitments: $124.5MM (if Stanek’s option isn’t exercised)

Arbitration-Eligible Players (service time in parentheses; projections from MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz)

• Andre Pallante (4.145): $7.5MM
• Nolan Gorman (4.055): $3.4MM
• Alec Burleson (4.029): $8.3MM
• Matthew Liberatore (3.144): $3.6MM
• Masyn Winn (3.045): $3.3MM
• Jordan Walker (3.044): $5.1MM
• Iván Herrera (3.034): $5.5MM
• Pedro Pagés (2.166): $1.3MM
• Kyle Leahy (2.140): $2.8MM
• Non-tender candidates: Gorman

Free Agents

• Ramon Urias

For Cards fans wondering if the unexpected success of 2026 might mark an early end to the rebuild, president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom poured cold water on that idea during his end-of-season press conference.  “We’re further along that path than we were a year ago, but, in my opinion, we still have a heck of a lot of work to do,” Bloom told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch’s Lynn Worthy and other reporters.  “It’s when you start chasing after things in the name of contention that actually don’t fit and don’t make sense within the context of trying to build a consistent contender, that’s when you actually get off track.”

In short, don’t expect the Cardinals to suddenly pursue high-priced veterans in the name of making a playoff push in 2027.  St. Louis still wants to evaluate what they have at multiple positions around the diamond before deciding on what more established free agents or trade targets might fill the remaining roster holes.

Let’s begin with the positions that already seem set.  First baseman Alec Burleson, second baseman JJ Wetherholt, and breakout right fielder Jordan Walker all enjoyed very good seasons.  Iván Herrera is mostly established as the regular DH and he is part of a crowd of catching candidates.  Top prospect Joshua Baez made waves with three homers in his first Major League game, and after logging 108 plate appearances over 29 games, Baez will have first dibs on the left field spot.  Masyn Winn’s bat remains a big question mark, but he is a superb defensive shortstop who might be weeks away from his second Gold Glove and Fielding Bible awards.

Nathan Church became the everyday center fielder down the stretch and displayed solid glovework, but also didn’t hit much.  St. Louis is probably likely to stick with the left-handed hitting Church in a platoon with utilityman Jose Fermin or maybe Everson Pereira or Victor Scott II, but acquiring a more experienced outfielder for at least a part-time role seems like a logical move.  Such a player could primarily share time with Church, or perhaps get some action in left field if Baez struggles over the course of a full MLB season.  Depending on where the Cardinals sit at the trade deadline and how Church/Baez are progressing, this veteran outfielder could potentially be flipped for more future talent.

Bloom described third base as “a long-term vacancy,” so the door is open for any of Thomas Saggese, Blaze Jordan, or Fermin to step up and make a claim on the hot corner.  The Cards could even pursue a reunion with Ramon Urias on another low-cost deal, basically as a do-over since Urias was injured for most of 2026.  Whether Urias or a similar type of veteran infielder, the Cardinals likely are going to focus more on internal options at the position rather than committing too much playing time to a newcomer.