Can St. Louis Cardinals Get a Post-Christmas Deal to Help in 2026?

With the Christmas holiday now behind us, it’s time for Major League Baseball teams to get back to work on building out their rosters for the 2026 season.

In the case of the St. Louis Cardinals, that means figuring out which player to trade next for the most part, but there could be some mild additions made amid the rebuild.

Among the reported targets for the Cardinals? A right-handed hitting outfielder.

So, let’s take a look at who is still out there and what some of the issues for the Cardinals are.

There’s a few reasons why this is important: As the Cardinals go through their rebuild, they aren’t looking to pay exorbitant salaries. They have already picked up large portions of the tab in the Sonny Gray and Willson Contreras deals, and they’ll have to pick up a large portion of the Nolan Arenado money once they move on from him as well.

They are already paying a ton of money to players no longer on the roster, they aren’t looking to pay huge fees to those who remain. It’s the reality of a rebuild. A reset of the organization includes a reset of the financial situation. The hope is that when the team is ready to compete, the savings will be used to help.

A bonus? If and when this player is traded at the deadline, they’ll be affordable for other teams as well.

The Cardinals have basically a “let’s help each other” situation going in 2026. They’ll provide the playing time if you provide the production. And then? At the deadline, the Cardinals will deal the player to a contender with a chance to win, and the Cardinals will get a prospect to help in the rebuild.

The player doesn’t have to necessarily be a starter, but they could be if the team trades away Lars Nootbaar. Or they could serve as a platoon partner for Alec Burleson, giving them a specialized but important role.

Can St. Louis Cardinals Get a Post-Christmas Deal to Help in 2026?

Tags: