2025-26 MLB Offseason Recap: St. Louis Cardinals

After a 78-win season in 2025, the Cardinals moved off a lot of money and a lot of notable players off the roster. Sonny Gray, Nolan Arenado, and Brendan Donovan are all gone. And in their place are new arms who will look to be future rotation building blocks for the Cards.

Additions

Despite a trio of significant trades that saw three very familiar names come off the roster, the Cardinals didn’t add much in terms of veterans. What the Cardinals did add was plenty of young pitching.

It started in November when St. Louis, now led by Chaim Bloom, shipped off the 2025 ace to Bloom’s old team, the Red Sox. The move netted the Cardinals two pitchers, most notably Richard Fitts.

Fitts, who did not make the team out of camp, does have the potential to be a valuable pitcher for the Cardinals. He may very well be a back-end starter in the long-term — but a good back-end starter. Mid-90s fastball with cut, a slider, and a sweeper, as well as a curveball. Fitts ditched his splitter and opted to go with a changeup, an offering he didn’t use much in 2025.

St. Louis also added a high-upside arm in Brandon Clarke, who comes into 2026 with significant helium.

Additionally, the Cardinals added another high-ceiling pitcher, Yhoiker Fajardo, along with Hunter Dobbins in a separate trade in late December.

Moving to free agency, the Cardinals took a flier on former Dodger Dustin May, who had a difficult all-around year. May couldn’t avoid the home run ball last year at all.

Ryne Stanek, a veteran reliever and Missouri native, signed with the Cards in free agency.

Losses

Willson Contreras and Sonny Gray are both Red Sox, thanks to offseason trades that pushed St. Louis into the next phase of the rebuild. And the trades didn’t stop there.

After over a year of trade rumors, Nolan Arenado found a new home. St. Louis traded the former All-Star to the Diamondbacks in what was a salary dump deal. The move ended Arenado’s complicated tenure as a Cardinal, one that saw his offensive production dip year after year since he nearly won the NL MVP in 2022.

Brendan Donovan, one of the Cardinals’ most valuable & versatile players over the last four seasons, was traded to Seattle in February. That trade netted the Cardinals two former first-round picks: outfielder Tai Peete and pitcher Jurrangelo Cijntje.

Miles Mikolas, another stalwart of the team over the last few years, signed with the Nationals over the winter.

Overview

To move the proverbial ball forward for the Cardinals, it will be up to the young players currently on the roster (i.e., Masyn Winn, Alec Burleson, Matt Svanson), plus the prospects on the rise.

St. Louis fans could get a look at JJ Wetherholt soon. Joshua Baez, a talented hitter who had a great 2025 in Double-A, is another potential building block. And don’t forget about Liam Doyle, who may be in St. Louis sooner than you think.

This won’t be an easy year for the Cardinals. Success will be determined more by whether the youngsters on this team improve and grow.

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