The St. Louis Cardinals may be in rebuild mode, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t planning to bring in some help.
They still require starting pitching—especially after sending Sonny Gray to the Boston Red Sox—but fans shouldn’t anticipate any major moves. The Cardinals aren’t expected to chase high-priced, headline free agents this offseason.
However, they still will be active as they continue their rebuild for 2026. They could dive into free agency for some starting pitchers. Derrick Goold reported that they want at least one starter from there and listed a few intriguing options that could help the rotation for next season.
Cardinals To Pair Up With Two Veteran Starters
“Dustin May, Tyler Mahle, and someone via trade with fewer than two years of experience are at least possibilities,” Goold reported.
“The Cardinals are looking to add at least one starter — and they have let some folks know they’re looking for two. They’d really like to get a starter via trade and a starter as a free agent.”
May and Mahle are two inexpensive veterans that would make sense for St. Louis. Mahle previously pitched for the Cincinnati Reds, so he is familiar with the National League Central.
He went 6-4 with a 2.18 ERA in 16 starts with the Texas Rangers in 2025. May went 7-11 with a 4.96 ERA in 23 starts and two relief appearances with the Los Angeles Dodgers and Boston Red Sox.
Both have struggled with injuries, but if they can stay healthy, they could be solid innings-eaters for St. Louis. May is still only 28, so he has some upside that the Cardinals might be interested in.
The Cardinals are going to trade several players this offseason, so they could get some solid young pitching in exchange for some of them, but one addition in free agency makes sense, even if they aren’t going to contend in 2026.
It should be interesting to see how the rest of the offseason plays out for St. Louis. The Gray trade was just the start of their rebuild, and they’ll need to make smart decisions in order to get it right and set themselves up well for the future.
These two veteran starters would make sense on one-year deals.
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