Despite the St. Louis Cardinals being more successful than expected this season, in the end, they still fell short of reaching the postseason.
After trading away some of their best players last offseason, it was clear St. Louis was headed toward a full-scale rebuild. Expectations were extremely low for the Cardinals this year, yet the team managed to stay in the thick of the playoff race for most of the season. Jordan Walker and Alec Burleson led the offense to new heights this year, and promising young players like JJ Wetherholt, Leo Bernal and Joshua Bez made their big-league debuts.
St. Louis' roster is flush with talented young players, which is promising, but it's also one of the organization's biggest challenges heading into next season. The Cardinals lineup has a couple of holes, primarily at third base , but their pitching staff's inexperience will likely hold them back.
Kyle Leahy, Michael McGreevy, Andre Pallante and Quinn Mathews will likely be a part of the starting rotation, and Matthew Liberatore's future with the team is up in the air after struggling this year. Despite a respectable rotation, the Cardinals lack a true ace, and there's little chance of addressing it this offseason.
Sep 24, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Kyle Leahy (62) delivers a pitch against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the first inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
"For a team that was expected to endure at least one more rebuilding year, the Cardinals had a pretty respectable starting rotation," Bleacher Report's Kerry Miller wrote on Friday . "Here's a question, though: Had the Cardinals made the postseason, who would they have wanted lined up to start in the wild card round? Or who should toe the rubber on Opening Day?
"They have a nice stockpile of middle-of-the-rotation arms, but they are desperately lacking in the ace department. Given the way they have operated over the years, we certainly don't expect them to go sign Tarik Skubal, or even one of the potentially $100M arms available beyond that two-time Cy Young recipient. Could they trade for one year of someone like Sandy Alcantara, Joe Ryan or Logan Gilbert, though?"
St. Louis has other promising young arms who could play a role on the team next season, but it will take time for any of them to develop into a star. With the Cardinals still a couple of years away from truly contending for a championship, why would the team make a long-term commitment to an ace hurler this offseason while still rebuilding?
Trading for a star pitcher is an intriguing idea, but building their farm system has been the Cardinals' priority, not trading prospects away. It's far more likely St. Louis looks to add a veteran pitcher with upside, similar to what they did with Dustin May this year.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/mlb/cardinals/onsi as Why the Cardinals Won't Fix One of Their Biggest Roster Holes This Offseason .
