The St. Louis Cardinals are technically hanging on in the playoff race, but they will need to find a way to extend their winning stretches past two games. Twice this month, the Cardinals have won consecutive games only to lose the next and the team has not won back-to-back games against the same opponent in August.

Even with those inconsistencies, the Cardinals are still in the postseason picture thanks to some players performing up to or even beyond expectations. With a young group of position players, there were a lot of question marks around the offense specifically. Injuries to a few mainstays in the lineup have allowed these players to get more opportunity as they look to cement themselves on next year’s roster. After the the trade deadline, innings were available for prospects to make their way to the big league pitching staff as they fight to grab one of the numerous openings in 2026.

Players who are locks for the Cardinals 2026 roster

The only true free agent remaining on the roster after the trade deadline is Miles Mikolas but there are multiple other players that would be surprising to see tendered a new deal after this season. Beyond Mikolas, utility man Garrett Hampson, and pitchers Jorge Alcala and Anthony Veneziano are likely going to be looking for new homes next year.

A bigger question plaguing the Cardinals is how Chaim Bloom will handle the roster and if he will be aggressive on the trade market in order to receive prospects in return. In a recent interview with manager Oli Marmol, the manager said that Lars Nootbaar’s injuries are once again leaving his future unclear and Marmol hope that Noot can stay healthy the rest of the year to be properly evaluated. If the season ended today, though, it would be tough to count him as a sure thing for the 26-man roster. Those types of questions are the ones I asked while coming up with the guys guaranteed to be on the Cardinals big league roster next season.

The 26-Man Locks

Position Group: Masyn Winn, Willson Contreras, Ivan Herrera, Alec Burleson, Victor Scott II, Thomas Saggese

This list was hard to bring down to actual locks, meaning there’s an almost zero chance these guys will not be on the 26-man roster next season barring any injuries. The above list only contains 11 names, but obviously there will be much more holdover on the roster going into next season. The reason I could not just mark every one of these players as “locks” is because of the uncertainty that Chaim Bloom will be bringing to the front office this offseason.

Before I go into the group from above, I want to touch on the guys who are not listed and my reasonings behind it, even if I expect them to be on the roster next year. There is a clear redundancy on the 40-man roster and we continue to hear about a lack of spots available on that expanded roster, but the reality is that is not necessarily the case. According to John Mozeliak, the Cardinals fielded calls on their left-handed bats but did not see a move worth making at this year’s trade deadline. He also mentioned that those offers were discussed along with Bloom and others, so there was just no group consensus. While I believe that Brendan Donovan, Lars Nootbaar, and Nolan Gorman will be on the team next year, I would also not be surprised if trade talks around these players were ignited once again.

Recently, manager Oli Marmol said that Nootbaar may not have been healthy enough this season for a true evaluation, and the rest of the season will go far into that process. It would hurt to see Donovan dealt but the Cardinals may be too far away from contention with other holes to fill that he might be more attractive to another team than in St. Louis. In Gorman’s sake, I hope he sticks around for one more chance as he appears to be making some adjustments at the plate but the third base defense is not inspiring. Also missing from the list is Nolan Arenado, who I expect to be sent out of St. Louis in one way or another, even if he does return to play this season. Finally, catcher Pedro Pages will likely have a role on the team but hopefully as a backup catcher if he stays with the team. We continue to hear how great the Cardinals’ catching depth is, so hopefully the organization gets aggressive with their catcher prospects and we get to see some of Jimmy Crooks III next season, if not sooner.

Of the guys that are actual locks, the team should begin extension talks with shortstop Masyn Winn and the positionless Ivan Herrera soon, a topic that was discussed on the newest episode of Cardinals on My Time. While Winn is fighting through a knee issue and Herrera has missed time with injuries of his own, they both have some level of excitement that should keep them in St. Louis for the long term. Winn has played Platinum Glove level defense while handling a league-average bat that I can only see improving and Herrera has been an above-average bat while finding his spot on the field. If he can play the outfield consistently, he can fill a power outfielder need but it will be interesting if they let him grab the catching gear again this offseason with a chance to be back there a couple days a week next year.

Alec Burleson has grown into a quality MLB bat while still showing the ability to adjust and grow as a player. While his defense is still below-average, he has made amazing strides to improve in the outfield and has been a serviceable fill-in at first base when Contreras needs to get off his feet. Recently, Marmol noted that Burly is an underrated piece of the team and applauded his growth every year. If he can continue to add some power, there’s no reason not to keep Burleson in the lineup. Going back to Contreras, he has been the best offensive player for the team while playing a surprisingly good first base. The team asked him about his no-trade clause but Contreras noted that he has no plans to waive that and stick in St. Louis for the rest of his deal.

Finally, Thomas Saggese and Victor Scott II have no reason to go back to Triple-A even though they have not done a ton with their opportunities with the big league team. VSII has stolen more than 30 bases, but has done so with a mediocre bat, at best. He is currently on the IL after attempting to make an incredible catch and his center field defense cannot be overlooked, the bat just needs to find another level of consistency. He is another one of those lefty outfielders but he is electric enough to expect to see him patrolling the grass at Busch again next year. Saggese can play all around the diamond, even getting reps in the outfield after his most recent demotion to Memphis, and he may end up being a super utility man with an okay bat. His minor league track record kind of mimics the approach of Burleson and Saggese could end up a righty complement to Donovan if he unlocks a little something with his offense.

Also missing out is JJ Wetherholt because I truly do not know what to expect from the organization regarding their top prospect. He continues to torment Triple-A pitching but there is a question for where he is going to play. Wetherholt has played shortstop the most while also mixing in at third and second, spots that are currently filled even though Wetherholt looks like an improvement. I anticipate him being in St. Louis in 2026 but there will have to be some more cleaning around the roster to make sure he gets everyday playing time.

Pitching Staff: Matthew Liberatore, Michael McGreevy, Kyle Leahy, Andre Pallante, Matt Svanson

And now for the uninspiring short list of pitchers. This one was more difficult and upsetting to put together because of the year-long struggles from the pitching staff, the uncertainty of contracts, and the question marks surrounding the bullpen.

For the starting rotation, Sonny Gray was left off because of another no-trade clause situation. Gray was unwilling to waive that clause in the offseason and then again at the deadline, but the second part seemed to be more about not wanting to uproot his family in the middle of the season. I believe Bloom will take this conversation up with the veteran pitcher again and see if they can work out a deal for both parties. It may be unlikely, but I would not be surprised to see Gray dealt. Unfortunately, that leaves another major hole in an already underwhelming rotation that will also bid farewell to Miles Mikolas.

That leaves Matthew Liberatore, Michael McGreevy, and Andre Pallante as the only three pitchers remaining on the roster who have made starts for the Cardinals this season. While none of the three have blossomed into an ace (or even top-2 starter), their age, health, and cost have to assure them a spot in the rotation next year. Depending how you look at it, the Cardinals have only placed one pitcher on the IL this year (John King) so there has not been much opportunity for others in the minor leagues to stake their claim on a rotation spot. The health, though, means that Liberatore and Pallante are likely to approach 30 starts to pair with their previous seasons of MLB performance. Unfortunately, these two have a combined 12-22 record and a 4.74 ERA while failing to work deep into starts or adjust on the fly during their appearances. Regardless, it is tough to anticipate a rotation without these two arms, especially considering the Cardinals are unlikely to be big spenders on the free agent market.

With McGreevy and Leahy, I think we can and should see both of them in the rotation next year, which seems obvious in McGreevy’s case. We had to wait months longer than expected, but he is finally getting his extended run in the rotation and continues to keep the team in games. In nine games as a starter, McGreevy is 4-2 with a 4.91 ERA, but a much better to see 3.50 FIP to go along with his elite command numbers. In over 50 innings, he has limited free passes with just six so far but he also is lacking the strikeout stuff with only 28 strikeouts in his starts. The pitch-to-contact strategy, as we have seen with the rest of the rotation, needs to be revamped and McGreevy will have to add a put away pitch to work deeper into games. Leahy is an exciting rotation option but has yet to get his opportunity. After the trade deadline, he has seen extended outings out of the bullpen but has seen starting work in the minors. This year, Leahy has been a solid option with a 3.16 ERA in almost 70 innings in relief. With a solid fastball and decent breaking stuff, I would love to see Leahy get extended run for a rotation spot during Spring Training this year.

The bullpen was another problem to sort through, because of volatility and the unknowns that surround the relief corps. So far, Matt Svanson has been the best option out of the bullpen and, when paired with his minor league closing success, Svanson could become a late game option for the Cardinals next year. I wanted to include JoJo Romero as a lock because of the Cardinals complete lack of lefty relief options, but he may be attractive enough to contending teams to deal away for other pieces. Among others, Riley O’Brien is on my list of guys I want to see in St. Louis but he has failed to stay healthy in his career despite the closer potential. Other than that, I do not see many reasons to get excited about guys like Chris Roycroft, John King, and others who have received innings this season. It is likely we will see multiple of them in the bullpen in 2026, but there will also likely be plenty of shuffling going around.

All told, there will definitely be more than the 11 names that I have listed as locks on the 2026 roster. The biggest question surrounding those on the outskirts of my list falls around the uncertainty for Chaim Bloom’s reign. I personally feel it would be in his best interest to be active on the trade market as he tries to make his mark on the organization, but the more likely option is 2026 will feel a lot like the previous three seasons, although this time, it will be on purpose.