The St. Louis Cardinals have officially shifted their focus toward an offseason centered on a promising young core. The 2026 season provided plenty of signs that the organization has several talented pieces capable of forming the foundation for the team’s future.
St. Louis wrapped up the season with a 77-85 record and failed to reach the playoffs, but the campaign helped the Cardinals identify several important players they can build around in the coming years.
“The Cardinals’ campaign — which concluded with a 6-4 loss to the (Milwaukee) Brewers Sunday afternoon at American Family Field — featured a somewhat surprising level of success,” Casey Drottar wrote for MLB.com. “That meant the members of St. Louis’ suddenly youthful clubhouse were not only getting more chances to play. They were also getting their first true opportunity to both face adversity and find their way out of it, and it was important that they knew they had a coaching staff willing to let them do so.”
That approach could now extend to a former top New York Yankees pitching prospect who has been claimed by the Cardinals, but only if they’re able to keep him.
St Louis Cardinals Claim Former New York Yankees Standout
The Cardinals shared that they had claimed a former standout Yankees prospect after he was designated for assignment by his latest team.
“We have claimed RHP Chase Hampton off waivers from the Washington Nationals,” the team announced. “Our 40-Player Roster now stands at 39.”
The move gives St. Louis another arm to develop after Hampton’s difficult 2026 season. He was originally selected by the Yankees in the sixth round of the 2022 Draft and emerged as a highly regarded pitching prospect before injuries interrupted his development.
Hampton underwent Tommy John surgery in February 2025 and missed that entire season. He returned this year but struggled across three minor league levels, finishing with an 8.18 ERA over 55 innings.
Former New York Yankees Prospect Gets Fresh Start
Still, at just 25 years old, Hampton is a coveted former top prospect, as shown by his quick journey through three major league organizations already this year.
In 2023, he posted a 3.63 ERA across 106 2/3 innings while striking out 33.1% of opposing hitters and walking just 8.4%. And given that previous success, the Cardinals are likely to see some competition for him further down the waiver wire.
“It’s fairly common for players who are claimed this time of year to be passed around the league as the offseason progresses,” Steven Adams explained for MLB Trade Rumors. “Whether Hampton sticks on the Cardinals’ roster remains to be seen, but he’s already been claimed twice and has barely made it through one-third of the league on waivers. The Nats and Cards both finished 77-85, tied for 10th-worst in the game, and offseason waiver priority is determined based on the reverse order of the preceding season’s standings.”
