Cardinals Should Parlay Hot Streak Into $56 Million Star

The St. Louis Cardinals are one of the most surprising teams in baseball this season.

St. Louis lost on Sunday against the Kansas City Royals, but still has a 26-21 record. The Cardinals have been one of the feel-good stories of the year so far, and if the club can keep winning, they should look to add a high-end player to help this year and build around. With all of the buzz around the Cardinals and a transition on the way with Chaim Bloom taking over next year, it would be surprising to see the team go after an expensive rental.

But, if the right guy comes around who could help now and over the next few years at the right price, why not?

One guy who would fit this description is Miami Marlins Cy Young Award winner Sandy Alcantara. He admittedly is having a tough start to the season. He has made nine starts and has a 7.99 ERA. But, he's just 29 years old and missed all of last season. There's clearly some rust there.

He began his big league career with the Cardinals in 2017 but was traded to the Marlins. Alcantara has since developed into a star. This is a guy who would be nice to bring in. He has legitimate No. 1-ace upside and yet he's on a five-year, $56 million deal. That deal covers the 2026 season and then has a $21 million club option for 2027. Even if he doesn't get back to his Cy Young level, he's a top-half of the rotation starter and the price tag isn't as high as it likely should be.

If the Cardinals keep winning, they should see what it would cost to bring him home.