The St. Louis Cardinals secured their second straight losing season with a loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates on Thursday and will now finish the season with a series against the Milwaukee Brewers .
All things considered, 2026 has largely been a success for St. Louis . Chaim Bloom tore down the roster by moving Sonny Gray , Willson Contreras , Nolan Arenado and Brendan Donovan , and the Arenado trade in particular opened the door for third base.
Blaze Jordan took the job in mid-June and handed it over to Thomas Saggese after his season-ending injury, and Saggese has had a solid month of September. Those seem to be the obvious internal candidates heading into 2027, but Lynn Worthy of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch isn't sold on them yet as the starting third base options.
"I'd like it to be somebody who's not in the organization right now," Worthy said. "I'd like them to go out and find somebody they can put in there who helps give them at least a higher floor with their big-league club. I'd rather them be able to bolster the team next season with guys who can play and produce next season, and still have those guys (in the organization) coming, try to win next season and have options.
Aug 27, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Blaze Jordan (33) is congratulated by left fielder Joshua Baez (22) after hitting a three run home run against the Baltimore Orioles during the second inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Unfortunately, the free agent class this year isn't going to be the most stacked. As far as third base options go, Eugenio Suarez is somebody that could be on their radar that won't cost a long-term deal but could boost the lineup and the defense.
Bo Bichette has an opt-out clause in his deal with the New York Mets . Chances are he will opt in, but if he doesn't, perhaps the Cardinals could pounce. The Houston Astros could also decline Issac Paredes' club option to save money, which would create another option for St. Louis.
There are options, but they could be very limited. Perhaps that means that the Cardinals will have to make a trade to get a third baseman in the offseason, or they could potentially stick with Saggese and Jordan as their options.
They still may not be in a position to make a blockbuster move, as the rebuild is still taking place, but that doesn't mean that they can't at least explore other options. The problem though is that the external options are somewhat lacking.
We'll see where they end up in their pursuit for more talent.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/mlb/cardinals/onsi as Cardinals Insider Not Sold on Thomas Saggese at Third Base for 2027 .
