Breaking: Cardinals Set To Sign $5.8 Million Veteran Center Fielder As Free Agent To Add Needed Depth

St. Louis could use some additional outfield depth, and a veteran is available in free agency.

This season, the St. Louis Cardinals haven’t had the depth they expected in the outfield.

St. Louis had an outfield stalemate in 2023 and solved it by moving longtime Cardinals outfielder Tyler O’Neill to the Boston Red Sox. The Cardinals appeared to have a surplus of outfielders, but their depth has been hampered by injuries.

This season, the Cardinals have yet to have Dylan Carlson or Tommy Edman available for any games. Carlson and Edman were both projected to be the club’s primary center fielder at various stages, but injuries changed that.

Victor Scott II began the season as the Cardinals’ starter center fielder, but he was recently demoted to the minors. Jordan Walker, another talented Cardinals outfielder, has also been sent down to the minors.

Bringing in a veteran to add depth makes a lot of sense right now. Kevin Pillar, a journeyman, may be an alternative. He began the season with the Chicago White Sox, but was designated for assignment and later chose free agency.

Pillar is a 12-year big league veteran who can play all three outfield positions and has had a successful career. He formerly played for the Toronto Blue Jays, San Francisco Giants, Boston Red Sox, Colorado Rockies, New York Mets, Los Angeles Dodgers, Atlanta Braves, and Chicago White Sox.

He has a career.257 hitter with 107 home runs who might be a great experienced bench option for a reasonable cost. So far this season, the Cardinals have struggled due to injuries. Carlson may return shortly, while Edman’s return date remains unknown. Landing someone like Pillar might help give some much-needed depth in the meantime.