The St. Louis Cardinals were better than many expected them to be in 2026. When the 2027 campaign rolls around, the young roster is going to be another year older and arguably should be even better. But will the Cardinals supplement the roster this offseason to try to take another step forward?

That is the biggest question around St. Louis. The Cardinals should be excited about their young core. Jordan Walker, JJ Wetherholt, Joshua Baez, Leo Bernal, Masyn Winn and Alec Burleson are a great start to a core. But the Cardinals need front-of-the-rotation pitching to pair with Kyle Leahy, Michael McGreevy, Andre Pallante and potentially Quinn Mathews. St. Louis also desperately needs bullpen help. On the bright side for Cardinals fans, The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal gave some hope that the club will have the ability to spend a bit this winter.

"For me, it's pitching," Rosenthal said of the Cardinals' biggest needs. "It's always pitching really, for all teams. With them especially. ... Their estimated payroll for 2027 right now is $76 million. They've got room to spend, for sure. It's a question of how competitive they want to be.

Will The Cardinals Spend?

The Cardinals have been rebuilding and the 2027 season likely will be another example of this. But that doesn't mean the front office should just skip free agency this winter. Take a look at the Chicago White Sox as a reason why.

The White Sox lost 102 games in 2025. They traded a handful of veterans away to bring young pieces to town over the last few years and they didn't do anything crazy last offseason, but they did spend a bit. The White Sox gave Munetaka Murakami a two-year, $34 million deal, for example. In 2026, the White Sox won 84 games and made it to the playoffs. The Cardinals don't need to go out and hand out some sort of nine-figure deal, but they need to invest in this young core by putting a few veterans around them.

We've made the case for veteran starters, like Shane Bieber and Nick Martinez. Either would be great additions and wouldn't break the bank. Relievers like Kenley Jansen, AJ Minter, Antonio Senzatela, Matt Strahm and Bryan Abreu all would make sense for the Cardinals as well. There's been speculation out there about infielders, like Alec Bohm, as well. At the end of the day, the Cardinals' payroll is so low right now that it would be a mistake not to go out and add in all of these areas, or at least in the rotation and bullpen.

Rosenthal isn't wrong. There's room to add and the Cardinals have to oblige.