While St. Louis Cardinals fans shouldn’t expect major offseason splashes in terms of player acquisitions, the team’s current situation does give them an interesting chance to surprise if the right opportunity arises.
The Cardinals are expected to move several veterans and large contracts this offseason — potentially including Nolan Arenado, Sonny Gray, and possibly Willson Contreras — and could even explore deals involving young talents like Brendan Donovan. With those three veterans representing the only guaranteed contracts beyond 2025, Chaim Bloom has significant flexibility in shaping the roster’s future.
Bloom has already indicated that the front office plans to pursue pitching help through free agency or trades, given the organization’s upper-minor-league injuries and the departures of multiple veteran starters. Any incoming arms, however, are likely to be more practical than headline-grabbing.
Still, a major addition can’t be ruled out entirely.
In a recent appearance on the Dealin’ the Cards podcast, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat mentioned he wouldn’t be surprised if the Cardinals made a play for someone like Dylan Cease or Framber Valdez should their markets fail to develop. While that might sound unlikely to fans, Jones’s reasoning behind the possibility is logical and well-grounded.
With uncertainty surrounding the upcoming CBA negotiations—and the looming possibility of a lockout or even a lost 2027 season—many across Major League Baseball believe this offseason’s free agent market could prove tricky for players hoping to secure massive, long-term deals.
Right-handers like Dylan Cease and Zac Gallen are both coming off underwhelming seasons, which might lead to limited or cautious interest from teams in need of pitching. Even someone like Framber Valdez, who turned in an excellent 2025 campaign, could see an unpredictable market if pitchers such as Tarik Skubal, Freddy Peralta, Hunter Greene, Pablo López, Joe Ryan, and Sonny Gray become available via trade.
That uncertainty could push some top-tier arms to consider short-term contracts—one or two years—with a higher annual value instead of waiting for long-term security. The idea would be to reenter free agency once the labor situation clears up or after a stronger performance on the mound. Similar situations have played out before, even without labor tensions, as seen with Blake Snell and Jordan Montgomery, who both had to settle for short-term deals in recent years.
While Montgomery’s deal with the Arizona Diamondbacks ultimately didn’t pan out, it was still a reasonable gamble. Snell’s short-term contract with the San Francisco Giants, on the other hand, worked out extremely well and could have turned into a valuable trade chip if the Giants had handled the deadline differently.
The St. Louis Cardinals could find themselves in a similar position this offseason. With financial flexibility and the likelihood of shedding two or three veteran contracts, they could take advantage of the market by offering a lucrative short-term deal to one of the top available pitchers. If things break right, they could either trade that arm at the deadline for a strong return or ride the momentum into a playoff push—and perhaps even explore a longer partnership the following offseason.