The St. Louis Cardinals are not going to make the playoffs. That is the plan, as the team is undergoing a rebuild. There are good young players ready to play at AAA who are going to step in mid season when the rentals are traded.
Young Players Showing Promise
The most promising aspect of this season is that players with four years of team control, such as Herrera, Walker, Liberatore, and Winn, have shown promise. This suggests the rebuild might not be lengthy. The team will likely trade players like May, Urias, Romero, and Nootbaar, providing more opportunities for younger players.
Pitching Concerns and Potential Fixes
The Cardinals’ pitching is a significant issue. While the starting rotation has exceeded expectations, inconsistency remains, especially with Leahy. Dobbins is the only real depth behind them, and May is injury-prone.
The bullpen is also struggling. While some pitchers are performing well, others are struggling significantly. The team hopes Pushard’s return from the IL will improve the situation, but the bullpen is considered the weakest part of the team.
- Doyle is the future closer.
- Hjerpe, Hence and Roby are all headed to the big league pen within a year or less.
- Matthews, Mautz and Henderson are also prospects.
Timeline for Contention
Help is on the way for the pitching, but not in time for 2026. The team could make deadline deals to compete in July 2027, but that is best-case scenario. The young players need to solidify their roles. The team will need to acquire an ace or two before it can contend again.
Offensive and Defensive Considerations
The team is playing well with players making very little money. They are not going to spend come July and try to win in 2026. 2027 is looking realistic now, but not this year.
The Cardinals are a couple of quality starters short of a legitimate rotation. The bullpen is also a problem. The pitching is the issue for sure.