The St. Louis Cardinals could very well have the third baseman of the future in the organization right now in young slugger Jesus Baez.

Baez blasted 39 home runs and drove in 109 runs in 2026 down in the minors across 113 games played. But he didn't play above Double-A, so it would be a big surprise if he were a part of the Cardinals' Opening Day plans in the majors. Thomas Saggese and Blaze Jordan are internal options to help at the spot, but there is a pending free agent who also makes sense as a target for St. Louis: Alec Bohm.

There has already been some chatter about there about the one-time All-Star and the Cardinals and it's not hard to see why. He's the best pending free agent third baseman in baseball right now. If he ends up settling for a short-term deal, which seems likely, that would really make him make sense for St. Louis. Naturally, as is the case each offseason, once an idea gets out there, the buzz continues to grow. For example, Bleacher Report shared a story talking about the latest rumors out there around the league and predicted that Bohm will come to St. Louis in the process.

The Cardinals Could Use A Third Baseman

"With that decline in mind, one executive wondered whether Bohm 'may prefer to rebuild his value on a one-year 'prove-it' deal,' per MLB.com's Mark Feinsand. 'He will likely have multi-year offers that may be accompanied by lower [annual average values] than he would like, so it may boil down to what he's prioritizing.' Bohm could be a candidate for relocation, since the Phillies may run short on infield openings with prospects on the rise and other, more powerful free agents perhaps holding their attention. ... Prediction: Bohm signs with the St. Louis Cardinals."

Bleacher Report cited Feinsand while making the case that Bohm may settle for a short-term deal. In Feinsand's column, he pinpointed the Cardinals as a potential landing spot for Bohm as well.

Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported that the Cardinals are open to the idea of adding a short-term answer at third base.

The idea makes sense. It's why it's spreading so much. Bohm is just 30 years old and could easily come in, improve the Cardinals' lineup and maybe even end up being a summer trade candidate. The market will dictate this idea, though. If he gets more interest than initially expected and gets a pricey, multi-year deal, it likely wouldn't be in St. Louis. If he gets a short-term, prove-it deal, then this idea could become a reality. It's still early. The World Series will begin on Friday and then the offseason will really kick off a few weeks afterward. Keep an eye on Bohm.