Sep 12, 2025; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Brewers manager Pat Murphy (49) and St. Louis Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol (37) go over the parameters of the playing field with home plate umpire Hanahan before their game at American Family Field. Also pictured is third base umpire Jeramie Rehak. Mandatory Credit: Michael McLoone-Imagn Images Michael McLoone-Imagn Images

3 Players Cardinals Should Pursue This Winter To Bolster Roster: Too Early Edition

Originally posted on St. Louis Cardinals on SI
By Zach Pressnell | Last updated Sep 18, 2025 8:59 AM ET

The St. Louis Cardinals haven't been great this season. They've done enough to stay afloat, but that's not the expectation in St. Louis.

With the offseason quickly approaching, St. Louis is going to need to turn its attention from winning games to bolstering the roster. The trade block and free agency will be two big chances for the Cardinals to add talent heading into the 2026 season, but which players should the Cardinals target?

Here are three players the Cardinals should target in free agency to bolster their roster heading into 2026:

1B/3B Munetaka Murakami

The first name on this list is a big question mark right now. It's unclear if superstar Japanese slugger Munetaka Murakami will be posted in MLB's free agency this winter, but if he is, the Cardinals need to take a shot on him. He's the perfect option to fill the place of Nolan Arenado and/or Willson Contreras, assuming the Cardinals can find a way to trade one of these two players. Murakami has been in the NPB for eight years and has clubbed over 250 home runs. His power would be appreciated in St. Louis.

RHP Jack Flaherty

Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Cardinals are set to lose Miles Mikolas in free agency, and they're also reportedly looking to trade Sonny Gray. It might not be smart to spend money on a new veteran pitcher, but reuniting with Jack Flaherty doesn't seem like a bad idea in the grand scheme of things. Flaherty wouldn't be too expensive, and he would add the necessary veteran presence to the Cardinals' rotation. He came up with St. Louis almost a decade ago, so reuniting now wouldn't be a bad idea.

OF Luis Robert Jr.

This one depends on the Chicago White Sox's big offseason decision. The White Sox may opt to decline Luis Robert Jr.'s club option, sending the potential star to free agency.

If the Cardinals could land him on a one- or two-year deal with club options and incentives worked into it, they would be in a very good spot. At his best, Robert is a potential 40/40 hitter with Gold Glove-level outfield defense. At his worst, he's unplayable. That's a risk the Cardinals can afford as they enter their long rebuild.

This article first appeared on St. Louis Cardinals on SI and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: