The 2026 Major League Baseball regular season is rapidly approaching its conclusion, and the St. Louis Cardinals are all but out of the playoff race barring an unlikely turnaround.
With just 15 games remaining, St. Louis sits 6½ games behind the final Wild Card spot, making a postseason appearance highly improbable.
Still, the Cardinals have something to play for down the stretch. At 72-75, they are three games below .500 and could potentially finish the season at or above the .500 mark if they close out the year on a strong run.
The 2026 St. Louis Cardinals are quickly running out of time, with the regular season finale against the Milwaukee Brewers set for Sept. 27, just over two weeks away.
Despite missing the postseason, the Cardinals have had a productive year, particularly during Chaim Bloom’s first season as president of baseball operations. The organization has identified several important pieces for its future, including Jordan Walker, JJ Wetherholt and Alec Burleson.
St. Louis has also seen notable development from players such as Kyle Leahy and Andre Pallante. At the same time, the Cardinals have strengthened their farm system by moving on from veteran players who were not part of the club’s long-term plans.
Overall, the Cardinals appear to be heading in a positive direction. The focus will now shift toward taking another step forward during the offseason.
Pitching remains a major need, especially in the bullpen, while adding an experienced starter near the top of the rotation could also make sense. The Cardinals will also have to address the uncertainty at third base, with Jesus Baez potentially emerging as a solution.
It has been an encouraging season in St. Louis, but the team is expected to undergo more changes as it continues building for the future.
With that being said, here are three guys who could be in their final month as a member of the Cardinals.
Ryne Stanek — Relief Pitcher
This one shouldn’t shock anyone. Stanek has a 4.42 ERA in 64 outings this season and a $6 million club option for the 2027 season. ESPN’s Jeff Passan already noted that Stanek’s option is among the ones that are unlikely to be picked up this upcoming offseason. The Cardinals need to completely overhaul the bullpen. Stanek likely will be a casualty of that.
Nolan Gorman — Infielder
It’s just not happening. Gorman had a great 2023 season, but hasn’t been able to get back to that level since. He was demoted to Triple-A earlier in the season. Gorman got hot and came back up towards the end of August. Since returning, Gorman has slashed .156/.191/.333 with a .525 OPS, two home runs and six RBIs in 14 games. This is the offseason to look for a change of scenery.
Ramón Urías — Infielder
The former Gold Glove Award winner joined St. Louis this past offseason and he has a mutual option for the 2027 campaign that isn’t likely to be picked up. The vast majority of mutual options don’t get picked up in general. Urías is batting .157 right now in 38 games played.
