If the St. Louis Cardinals are going to add any position players this offseason, the most obvious route would be to add a stop-gap third baseman to give Jesus Baez or Rainiel Rodriguez time to make the jump to the majors.

Earlier in the week, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch linked the Cardinals to a player who would fit this description and is absolutely worth a look: veteran infielder JP Crawford.

"A top-flight fielder earlier in his career with a Gold Glove Award in 2020 on his resume, Crawford has lost some of that range and yielded shortstop this past summer in Seattle," Goold wrote. 'He picked up innings at third base, where his skills translated – and also where the Cardinals have the most obvious opening in the field. Crawford, 31, remains a reliable bat with average production this past season."

The idea of pursuing Crawford makes almost too much sense at this point. This isn't the first time he has been floated as a fit for the Cardinals. The Athletic's Jim Bowden mentioned the Cardinals and the Minnesota Twins as fits for the veteran infielder.

The Cardinals Need To Add

On Tuesday, MLB.com's Daniel Kramer reported that the Mariners have informed Crawford that he will not be back in Seattle in 2026. So, he needs to look for a new home and the Cardinals could use a boost at a spot he can play.

One thing that makes Crawford stand out as an intriguing option is the fact that he's left-handed. Both Thomas Saggese and Blaze Jordan are right-handed. So, the Cardinals could find a pathway to a platoon if they saw fit. Defensively, Crawford has a Gold Glove Award under his belt and he's a 10-year big league veteran. The Cardinals are young. It's great to have youth in an organization and the future is bright, but you need veterans around as well to help lead the charge. Crawford has done a bit of everything throughout his career and would fit that description.

In 2026, he slashed .221/.335/.352 with a .687 OPS, 14 home runs and 40 RBIs in 116 games played. That production would give the Cardinals a boost, although it would be even better if he returned to his 2025 form. In 2025, he slashed .265/.352/.370 with 12 home runs and 58 RBIs. In 2025, he was a 3.6 WAR player, whereas he was a 0.9 WAR player in 2026. He's young enough (31 years old) to believe he can return to that 2025 form.

The Mariners have taken themselves out of the running. St. Louis should absolutely enter the mix and roll the dice on Crawford now.