Despite entering a rebuild, the St. Louis Cardinals are still focused on trying to make some improvements for 2026. Most notably, they need help on the pitching side.
They have been shopping All-Star second baseman Brendan Donovan, and several teams, including the Kansas City Royals, have shown interest in the veteran. Kansas City has the kind of pitching that St. Louis would want in exchange for Donovan.
Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch notes that while Kris Bubic had an All-Star season, he isn’t going to be a target for St. Louis with just one year left on his contract. However, another Royals pitcher was brought up by Goold.
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Cardinals Looking For Controllable Starters This Offseason
Sep 14, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Noah Cameron (65) throws a pitch against the Philadelphia Phillies in the first inning at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images | Kyle Ross-Imagn Images
“Think along the lines of how the Cardinals would see control beyond the year. [Noah] Cameron would be an example of more years of control, upside. Actually, there are about two, three examples on the KC roster that would come with that kind of fit for the Cardinals, and that’s at least one area they have looked when it comes to the Royals,” Goold wrote.
While Cole Ragans and Seth Lugo were on the injured list, Cameron stepped up for Kansas City and served as their de-facto ace. He went 9-7 with a 2.99 ERA in 24 starts and posted a 3.8 WAR while also striking out 114 batters in 138 ⅓ innings pitched.
He is not a free agent until 2032, which makes him an ideal target for the Cardinals as they try to build a younger pitching staff but also fill the holes in the rotation. Cameron is still only 26 years old as well, so he has plenty of solid years left and could be a huge addition to the Cardinals rotation. Bubic on the other hand, is not a logical target.
For the longest time, St. Louis has needed to find controllable young starting pitching. Chaim Bloom has a chance to finally get the Cardinals the pitching that they need to not only strengthen the minor league system, but also make the big-league rotation younger.
Cameron fits the mold of what they are looking for and could be a very solid addition as the Cardinals try to rebuild, but also make some improvements. It will be interesting to see what kinds of trades Bloom makes.
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