Mar 6, 2019; Tampa, FL, USA; St. Louis Cardinals hat and gloves lay in the dugout at George M. Steinbrenner Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-Imagn Images Kim Klement-Imagn Images

Cardinals Facing Key Roadblock to Next Move, Insider Says

Originally posted on St. Louis Cardinals on SI
By Curt Bishop | Last updated Feb 17, 2026 2:00 PM ET

The St. Louis Cardinals accomplished a lot this offseason, engaging in a full rebuild by trading veterans Sonny Gray, Willson Contreras, Brendan Donovan and Nolan Arenado. Still, they made some intriguing additions such as Ryne Stanek and Dustin May and also have been in the hunt for a right-handed outfield bat off the bench.

However, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch notes that there is a major hangup in the Cardinals' pursuit of a right-handed bat, which includes contract negotiations and the possibility of playing for a team that is not expected to be a contender for the postseason in 2026.

If you like our content, choose Sports Illustrated as a preferred source on Google.

Cardinals may not land RH Bat

Reinhold Matay-Imagn Images

"The contract part is this: major-league contract," Goold wrote. "Players want that. [The] Cardinals would sign a RHB on a minor-league deal. That's one of the hang-ups, and that's behind No. 3, which a few of the available players are OK with."

It would seem that the contract demands are what is holding up any potential deal. That also would seemingly limit the Cardinals' options. On Monday, Goold had reported that there wasn't much interest in a reunion with former Cardinal Randal Grichuk and that they were going to give infielders Jose Fermin and Thomas Saggese looks in the outfield.

But if the Cardinals want to sign somebody to a minor-league contract, their options may be limited. They could potentially look into a reunion with Grichuk, who struggled in 2025, but could also look at a possible reunion with another former Cardinal in Tommy Pham, who spent the 2025 season with the Pittsburgh Pirates.

In the end, it may be that the Cardinals decide to roll with what they already have rather than try to add one more bat to their mix. It's a rebuilding year after all, so it would make sense to give their younger players more opportunities going forward, especially if they are not going to contend in 2026.

But options are limited anyway, so it can't hurt for the Cardinals to just stick with what is already there rather than bringing in another aging veteran. It will be interesting to see what the Cardinals decide to do and how they try to navigate the rest of the offseason leading up to Opening Day.

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

More must-reads: