Sep 17, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Chicago Cubs left fielder Ian Happ (8) circles the bases on a two run home run against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the first inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Cubs' Latest Signing Could Haunt Cardinals in 2026

Originally posted on St. Louis Cardinals on SI
By Jackson Roberts | Last updated Jan 26, 2026 3:00 PM ET

One of the most perplexing developments of the last few seasons for the St. Louis Cardinals has been the total disintegration of a young outfield.

At the start of the 2023 season, the Cardinals had Tyler O'Neill, Lars Nootbaar, Jordan Walker, Dylan Carlson, Tommy Edman, and Brendan Donovan all under cheap team control. Three years later, three of those players are gone, and the other three could soon follow them out the door.

Carlson, in particular, was a disappointment for Cardinals fans, as he was once the team's first-round pick and played so well in 2021 that he finished third in Rookie of the Year voting. He regressed every season from that point, and at the 2024 trade deadline, St. Louis dumped him to the Tampa Bay Rays in an attempt to boost the bullpen with the addition of Shawn Armstrong.

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Dylan Carlson joins Cubs for spring training

Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images

That move hasn't worked out for either side so far, but a year and a half later, Carlson is hoping to reintroduce himself to the National League Central -- and punish the Cardinals in the process.

On Saturday, Greg Zumach of The Baseball Tribune reported that the Chicago Cubs were signing Carlson to a minor-league contract. The 27-year-old will presumably compete for a bench spot in Chicago this spring, alongside fellow recent signee Chas McCormick.

Nothing Carlson has done since leaving the Cardinals suggests that he was once a top prospect, or that St. Louis should regret letting him go. But that doesn't mean the Cardinals are thrilled to see him potentially reenter the division.

At times, Carlson simply wasn't getting the opportunities in St. Louis that he might have on a team with fewer outfielders. The injuries along the way didn't help, either, as the switch-hitter suffered shoulder, ankle, and wrist issues that helped knock him out of the rotation for playing time.

There's a chance Carlson never makes the Cubs' roster and Cardinals fans don't have to think twice about this move. But it would be quite painful if the inverse happened and St. Louis' most bitter rival unlocked Carlson's talent, even in a supporting role.

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

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