Announcement: Cardinals’ Closing In On $16.3 Million Deal Proposal To Fill Biggest Needs This Winter

The St. Louis Cardinals clearly aren’t going to make a big investment this winter.

St. Louis has made it known that it wants to cut payroll, and that means that significant changes are expected to come. The Cardinals still will need to fill out the roster with the future in mind. The 2025 season is expected to be a bridge year for St. Louis. While this is the case, this doesn’t mean that the Cardinals can’t have any success.

Consider the New York Mets. Last offseason, New York tried to reduce payroll, thinking that 2025 would be a more achievable goal to compete in. The Mets made inexpensive agreements to invest in potential rebounders. With one more victory, New York may advance to the National League Championship series after outperforming expectations.

While the Cardinals won’t necessarily follow suit, St. Louis will need to bolster their squad in some areas, and there will be inexpensive free agents available who might contribute in 2025 and possibly beyond. In addition to adding outfield depth, the Cardinals might use a starter reliever.

With that being said, three players the Cardinals should target are Los Angeles Dodgers starter Walker Buehler, Atlanta Braves outfielder Adam Duvall, and a reunion with reliever Andrew Kittredge.

Buehler is a two-time All-Star but has dealt with injuries. He missed the 2023 season and had a 5.38 ERA in 16 starts in 2024. Because of this, he is projected to get a deal worth $7.7 million over two years. He is just 30 years old and certainly can bounce back in 2025. Why not take a chance on him?

Duvall is a one-time All-Star who had 21 home runs and 58 RBIs in 2023 in 92 games with the Boston Red Sox. He struggled in 2024 but will be cheap in free agency. He’s projected to get $2 million and could be a serviceable depth option with upside.

Kittredge was fantastic for the Cardinals in 2024 and had a 2.80 ERA across 74 outings. He’s projected to get $6.6 million over one year. He certainly could help in a second season in 2025.

Overall, these three free agents would cost $16.3 million. All three could help — especially Buehler — and should be in consideration.