The St. Louis Cardinals have been actively rebuilding over the past year and are focused on trying to make their roster a contender in the future. For now, they aren't going to make any splashy moves, but there are ways they can improve their roster.

Jim Bowden of The Athletic reports that a left-handed hitting infielder is on their radar, but the options in free agency aren't great, so they might be best off looking elsewhere for help. They have first base down pat, but Alec Burleson had a .548 OPS against left-handed pitchers this season, so a right-handed bat that can play a little first base might be a good investment.

Perhaps that could lead them to former Baltimore Orioles slugger Ryan Mountcastle.

Examining the fit

Mountcastle could potentially spell Burleson against left-handed pitchers and give the Cardinals a right-handed power threat that they can mix and match with. Mountcastle appeared in only eight games this past season due to injuries and did not hit a home run.

However, he hit 33 home runs with the Orioles in 2021 and has only hit fewer than 13 three times in his career, so giving him a one-year contract to occasionally take at-bats against left-handed pitching could give the Cardinals a bit of an edge.

Pitching is probably the more pressing need for St. Louis, but it can't hurt to have a little more offense. While Burleson did lead Major League Baseball with over 100 RBI, having an insurance policy in case he struggles against left-handed pitching would be a good idea, and it simply would give St. Louis more options to play with as they continue their rebuild and try to take more steps forward in 2027.

But because the left-handed hitting options aren't great, it might be best for them to simply focus on other areas of the offense they can improve. The only left-handed hitting infielder that would improve the team in free agency is Luis Arraez, and he'll have a lot of suitors this offseason.

But Mountcastle could be an interesting fit here if the Cardinals want to mix and match a little bit against left-handed pitching. They have at least a few weeks before the lockout to find the right fit, so it will be interesting to see what Chaim Bloom decides to do as the Cardinals look towards the future and for ways to improve.