The St. Louis Cardinals arguably could be a playoff team in 2027, depending on how they handle the offseason.

St. Louis went 77-85 in 2026 with one of the youngest rosters in baseball. JJ Wetherholt, Jordan Walker, Leo Bernal, Joshua Baez and Masyn Winn give the Cardinals one of the most intriguing young cores in baseball. Plus, the rotation has a few positives, including Kyle Leahy, Michael McGreevy and Andre Pallante. The Cardinals have one of the top farm systems in baseball as well, headlined by prospects including Liam Doyle, Rainiel Rodriguez and Jurrangelo Cijntje, among many others. This team can be very interesting on the sooner side, especially if St. Louis adds another bat at third base this winter.

MLB.com's Will Leitch threw out the exact type of name St. Louis should target this winter: Isaac Paredes of the Houston Astros.

"Potential trade candidates include the Astros’ Isaac Paredes or the Yankees’ Ryan McMahon, though both have just one season left before free agency, and McMahon posted a .635 OPS this past season," Leitch wrote.

The Cardinals Should Call Houston

Paredes was one of the most talked-about trade candidates of the offseason last year, but the Astros ended up holding onto him. Right now, Paredes has just one more season of team control left, but the Cardinals arguably should still check in this winter. Paredes is just 27 years old and can play all over the infield. In 2026, he hit 25 home runs and drove in 94 runs, while slashing .262/.360/.447 in 155 games played. He was a 4.1 WAR player.

Paredes was shopped last offseason because of the fact that the Astros have a surplus of infielders. That is still the case right now. If Houston is going to shop him again this winter, the Cardinals should be the team that gets a deal done. While he may not have long-term control, the price tag to acquire him wouldn't be crazy. Plus, he could man third base throughout the 2027 season and then pass the torch to Jesus Baez or even Rodriguez, if the Cardinals believe either is ready to pick up the mantle.

The 2026 Cardinals were solid, but ran out of steam down the stretch. If the club could add another veteran slugger with 25-plus-homer power, that would give the lineup exactly what it needs.

A deal shouldn't be considered likely. But the Cardinals should place a call regardless.