Could the St. Louis Cardinals actually end up making a splash this winter?

Right now, the Cardinals have the youngest roster in baseball with an average age of 25.9 years old. The Cardinals went 77-85 in 2026 and arguably will be better in 2027 simply because the young pieces on the roster will have another year of experience under their belt. A full season of Leo Bernal and Joshua Baez in the majors isn't going to hurt as well. But this team still is likely a year away from really contending for a title. Because of that, it would be surprising to see the organization go out and spend heavily this winter on somebody in free agency, especially with the looming labor questions around baseball in general. But that doesn't mean that there aren't any avenues for the club to add someone with multiple years of control.

Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch was asked in a question-and-answer session with fans about the idea of trading for a player with multiple years left under control and the Cardinals insider didn't shut the idea down.

"They can indeed," Goold wrote. "That was the kind of move that Chaim Bloom agreed was a possibility – adding a player with a longer-term contract that would fit with their view of when they’ll contend and the role/positions they feel they’ll need when that happens. He said that kind of player could be acquired this winter, and will at least be looked at."

Who Should St. Louis Target?

Let's break down this idea.

The Cardinals have one of the best overall farm systems in baseball right now, if not the very best. If the Cardinals wanted to package pieces together, they certainly could make a splash in the trade market. But who would make sense? That depends fully on when the Cardinals believe they will contend again.

Players with one more season of team control left would not make sense. A player with two seasons of team control left would make more sense, but arguably that still may not be enough time to truly contend. That doesn't mean that the Cardinals won't be in the playoffs during the 2028 season. Arguably, this team should be by then. But if you go out now and pay the price for a star only for them to go to free agency after the 2028 season, arguably that would be a mistake because then right when the team would seemingly get back to a level of contention, they would potentially lose a piece and not have the prospects to supplement the roster.

That leaves us with players with three-plus years of control left. The Cardinals shouldn't simply trade pieces away just to do it. St. Louis' farm system was stretched thin for a while, which is part of the reason why the club has been in the situation it has been in over the last few years. They should only make a big move if it's a no-brainer.

A few options the front office should consider are Emerson Hancock of the Seattle Mariners (team control through 2030), Ketel Marte of the Arizona Diamondbacks (under contract through 2030 with a 2031 player option), or Rafael Devers of the San Francisco Giants (under contract through 2033), among others.

Of this group, Marte wouldn't fit well, unless another move was made. If Masyn Winn were moved, which shouldn't happen, then JJ Wetherholt could shift to shortstop and Marte could fill in at second base. Again, this wouldn't be a great move. But it's an example. The most intriguing option of the group above would be Devers. He's just 30 years old and if the Giants paid down his deal he would be a perfect target.

Keep an eye on St. Louis.