Kembali
The St. Louis Cardinals may not go out and make some sort of massive splash this winter, but that doesn't mean that they won't add any pieces at all.
We're very likely not going to see the Cardinals go out and hand out some sort of expensive, nine-figure deal. St. Louis doesn't seem to be at that level in the rebuild just yet. There has been some surprise speculation, like St. Louis being floated for Freddy Peralta by CBS Sports. That's just not realistic. While someone like Peralta may not be a realistic fit, the Cardinals are going to be looking to add around the edges and The Athletic's Jim Bowden dropped an intriguing take on the infield.
"The Cardinals are going to continue to build their team through amateur scouting and player development for the long haul, but at the same time they are going to try to find upgrades for the bullpen and would really like to bring in a solid starting pitcher who could help lead the staff," Bowden wrote. "They’re also interested in a left-handed-hitting left side of the infield role player to better balance the right-handed-hitting Masyn Winn, Thomas Saggese, Blaze Jordan and Jose Fermin."
It has been known that third base could be an area that the Cardinals look to add this winter. Jesus Baez or even potentially Rainiel Rodriguez could very well end up being long-term answers at the hot corner, but neither is likely to be on the Opening Day big league roster. Neither has played in Triple-A yet. So, the idea of a short-term option has been floated, especially if the Cardinals don't expect either Saggese or Jordan to command a major role.
Bowden specifically saying a left-handed-hitting infielder gives more direction on what type of player the Cardinals could be looking for. Eugenio Suarez is someone who would bring pop to the middle of the order, but he's a righty. So, that would seemingly rule him out, for now at least. The same can be said about Alec Bohm. He's a righty as well.
Yoan Moncada is a switch-hitter, which is at least closer to the idea of a left-handed hitter. The same can be said about Jeimer Candelario. But the guy who would be the most interesting based on this idea is JP Crawford. He is a Gold Glove Award-winning shortstop, but moved to third base in 2026. He's a left-handed hitter and can play either position on the left side.
At the end of the day, the Cardinals need more depth. The market has opened and St. Louis can sign pieces at any time now.