Announcement: Cardinals Surprisingly Closing In Deal To Sign $97 Million Slugger After Bidding…

The St. Louis Cardinals intend to rebuild in the future, but how will the front office approach the winter free agent market as a result?

Fans are left wondering whether their beloved team will make any interesting acquisitions this offseason after Cardinals President of Baseball Operations John Mozeliak declared the organization’s desire to “reset” and lower payroll.

One insider recently made an unexpected idea that would be extremely helpful for the Cardinals’ offense, which suffered badly in 2024, even though it’s still unclear who St. Louis could target this winter.

Right fielder Anthony Santander of the Baltimore Orioles was recently mentioned as a possibility the Cardinals’should’ look into this offseason, per Zachary D. Rymer of Bleacher Report, who talked about the difficult choices every team will have to make this offseason.

Santander played 155 games for the Orioles in 2024, batting.235 with 71 extra-base hits (44 home runs, 102 RBIs), and a.814 OPS.

For the first time in his career, the 29-year-old will be a highly sought-after free agent this winter after developing into one of the league’s finest power hitters over the last three seasons.

The All-Star outfielder’s market worth is estimated by Spotrac to be approximately $97 million over the course of a five-year contract, or about $19 million per year.

It’s hard to say whether Santander’s price tag is too high for St. Louis’ free agency spending budget because the Cardinals are committed to cutting payroll.

The Cardinals might try comparing Santander’s estimated worth of $21 million a year to Goldschmidt’s.It is anticipated that the 2022 National League MVP will depart St. Louis this winter, which may make space for another star to sign with the team at a comparable cost.