Cardinals 2027 Arbitration: Biggest Risers, Non-Tender Candidates

Sep 26, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Alec Burleson (41) reacts after hitting a solo home run in the third inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Cardinals 2027 Arbitration: Biggest Risers, Non-Tender Candidates

Originally posted on St. Louis Cardinals on SI
By Patrick McAvoy | Last updated Oct 8, 2026 9:00 AM ET

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Who will be back with the St. Louis Cardinals in 2027?

Well, there surely will be a lot of familiar faces in town. Ryne Stanek has a club option for the 2027 season that the club has to make a decision on. He's the only player who is already likely to be going to free agency. It doesn't mean he won't be the only one in general. But the rest of the roster is under team control, whether that is a long-term deal (like JJ Wetherholt), arbitration eligible or in pre-arbitration. That's what happens when you have the second-youngest roster in the league.

For St. Louis, it will be more about deciding who to tender deals to, than simply thinking about guys heading off to the open market. Recently, MLB Trade Rumors released its yearly salary projections for arbitration-eligible players. For the Cardinals, they have nine to think about.

Cardinals Arbitration Projections

Andre Pallante: $7.5 million
Nolan Gorman: $3.4 million
Alec Burleson: $8.3 million
Matthew Liberatore: $3.6 million
Masyn Winn: $3.3 million
Jordan Walker: $5.1 million
Ivan Herrera: $5.5 million
Pedro Pages: $1.3 million
Kyle Leahy: $2.8 million

IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Every year, MLB Trade Rumors shares its projections and the outlet is viewed among the best in the business when it comes to arbitration. In these projections, the biggest salary jump would be Burleson. In 2026, he made just around $3.3 million. So, if he were to actually get close to that $8.3 million number, it would be about a $5 million jump. Walker is another guy who is due for a well-deserved boost. He made just shy of $800 thousand in 2026. He'll move from pre-arbitration to arbitration this winter and that $5.1 million projection would be a jump of over $4 million.

One thing that is going to be important to follow is whether everyone on this list gets tendered a contract. Specifically, Gorman and Pages could present intriguing decisions for the club to make. If a team non-tenders a player, they become a free agent. Gorman doesn't appear to be a part of the long-term future of the organization. Do they simply cut their losses now? Or, tender a deal and try to trade him?

Pages is a capable backup catcher. Plus, $1.3 million wouldn't be an aggressive price to pay either. But do the Cardinals want to roll with the tandem again? That's the question. Leo Bernal should be the guy moving forward, at least to begin the 2027 campaign. Do you roll with someone like Pages as the backup? What about Ivan Herrera? Or, even, what about Jimmy Crooks? It's going to be a real question this winter.

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

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