For a while now, it’s felt like most of the National League Central is just a step behind. In four of the last five seasons, the Milwaukee Brewers have walked away division champions, oftentimes by some distance. The only exception in the span was the St. Louis Cardinals, back in 2022. However, since that 2022 season, when the Cardinals posted a 93-69 record (and went two-and-out in the Wild Card Series to the Phillies), it has been a rather large fall from grace for the Redbirds.
Now, after a long
(and active) offseason that saw the departure of a handful of veterans, St. Louis is looking to begin stacking up on young players and continuing to develop their young players already on the roster under Chaim Bloom.
St. Louis Cardinals
2025 record: 78-84 (4th, NL Central)
2026 FanGraphs projection: 75-87 (5th, NL Central)
The Cardinals, despite having some big names last season, weren’t able to make any major waves in the NL Central. And instead of keeping them around, the organization decided to move forward in a different direction with former Red Sox head honcho Chaim Bloom officially taking over for the departing John Mozeliak after a one-year apprenticeship behind the scenes in the front office.
Nolan Arenado was traded back to the NL West and the sunny state of Arizona with the Diamondbacks. Willson Contreras was traded to the Boston Red Sox for pitcher Hunter Dobbins and prospects Yhoiker Fajardo and Blake Aita. Former Yankees pitcher Sonny Gray also joined Contreras on the Sox, being traded in November for pitching prospect Richard Fitts, prospect Brandon Clarke, and cash.
Another notable departure from the roster include second baseman Brendan Donovan to the Seattle Mariners in a three-team deal that also included the Tampa Bay Rays. The Cardinals sent theutility man to the northwest for right-handed pitcher Jurrangelo Cijntje, outfield prospects Tai Peete and Colton Ledbetter, and two 2026 Competitive Balance Round B draft picks.
These departures signal a new direction for a Cardinals team and franchise that is used to being in the driver’s seat in the NL Central. After a few seasons of treading water somewhat aimlessly, the club appears to have chosen a definitive direction. With these changes both at the helm of the franchise and with the names on the field comes a new crop of players that will begin to make their mark in a Cardinals uniform as soon as this coming season.
The biggest names to watch for the Cardinals include their most prominent free agent signing Dustin May, who came on with a one-year, $12.5 million deal to help lead the rotation and prove himself after a tough season split between the Dodgers and Red Sox. He could prove to be a useful trade chip for a retooling squad if he can bounce back. Elsewhere, there’s a host of young players that will take the reins, including JJ Wetherholt and Masyn Winn.
Last year with the Triple-A Memphis Redbirds, Wetherholt slashed .314/.416/.562 for an OPS of .978, and his play in 62 games at Double-A was just as good, if not better. His power helped him make waves in the minor leagues, and with his current spring training performance, smashing a 422-foot homer with an exit velocity of 105.4 mph against the New York Mets, according to our sister site, Viva El Birdos. If there was a player to watch for coming up, Wetherholt is the guy.
Winn is more established, with a solid body of work at the major league level. His last two seasons at the plate have been around average, but his defense is spectacular, and his wicked arm from shortstop helped him make an impression early both nationally and within the Cardinals organization.
The rest of the young talent on this roster is more of the post-hype variety. Jordan Walker, Nolan Gorman, and Alec Burleson were all Top 100 prospects once upon a time, but none has been able to put things together at the major league level. On the pitching side, St. Louis will hope that young starters Matthew Liberatore and Michael McGreevy can build on respectable 2025 campaigns.
While St. Louis is in a tough spot for now, they’re geared toward bigger and better things with the young talent they have on hand and are in the process of acquiring. They might have to go through some more growing pains in the interim, though.
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