Aug 6, 2025; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Dustin May (85) delivers a pitch during the first inning against the Kansas City Royals at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Paul Rutherford-Imagn Images Paul Rutherford-Imagn Images

Instant Impact Of Cardinals, Dustin May Free Agency Splash

Originally posted on St. Louis Cardinals on SI
By Patrick McAvoy | Last updated Dec 13, 2025 5:28 PM ET

The St. Louis Cardinals have the veteran starting pitcher that they have been looking for.

All offseason, the Cardinals have been open about the fact that they have wanted to add at least one veteran starting pitcher. That became even more apparent after St. Louis traded Sonny Gray to the Boston Red Sox. Now, the Cardinals have found a solution. ESPN's Jeff Passan reported that Dustin May and the Cardinals are in agreement on a deal.

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

"Right-hander Dustin May and the St. Louis Cardinals are in agreement on a free agent contract, pending physical, sources tell ESPN," Passan wrote.

The Cardinals have a new hurler

Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

So, what does this mean for St. Louis? Let's evaluate:

St. Louis' Rotation Options

The Cardinals all of a sudden have a handful of options at their disposal. Michael McGreevy and Matthew Liberatore are the two obvious options. Now, May joins that category as well after coming over in free agency. Beyond these three, St. Louis has Richard Fitts as an option, who the club acquired from Boston in the Gray trade. Kyle Leahy and Andre Pallante are two other guys who will have the chance to earn a spot out of camp. Then, the Cardinals have prospect Quinn Matthews knocking on the door to the big leagues as well.

Next Steps

The Cardinals arguably have the rotation covered at this point. Now, the full focus should be on trading veterans away, like Nolan Arenado, Brendan Donovan, and JoJo Romero, among others, and see what types of returns the team can get. After that, evaluate the roster from there to see if there is still a need for pitching or bullpen help.

Trade Ramifications For May

The thing that makes the deal with May even better, is that if he has a bounce-back 2026 season, he could be a very valuable trade chip for St. Louis down the line. The Cardinals aren't expected to contend in 2026. If May looks good in the first half, the Cardinals could flip him for much more. At just 28 years old, there's reason for optimism. Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com reported that May is getting a one-year deal with a mutual option for 2027. Arguably, that makes him an even better trade chip because there's at least a slight chance of a second year on his deal.

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

More must-reads: