- Oct 16, 2026
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SportsMafia Wire graphic. Photo: Lightmetro via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0. Team logos via ESPN.
The St. Louis Cardinals enter the offseason with third base, center field and starting pitching listed as priorities, though the bullpen remains a secondary concern despite its struggles.
Brandon Lowe emerged as one potential solution after batting .260/.331/.493 with 35 home runs and 4.9 fWAR for Tampa Bay in 2026. The 32-year-old posted his highest strikeout rate since 2019 while benefiting from a .354 wOBA that outpaced his expected .331 mark. His defensive limitations include an 11th percentile arm, and he has never appeared at third base professionally. Tampa Bay traded Lowe in exchange for outfielder Jacob Melton, who missed most of 2026 and has yet to reach the majors, and prospect Anderson Brito.
Luis Arraez offers another option following a .310/.345/.419 season with 4.1 fWAR at age 30. The contact specialist struck out just 4.3 percent of the time but carries defensive questions at the hot corner despite a sudden improvement in 2026. His arm graded in the 25th percentile, and his defensive metrics have fluctuated wildly across limited third-base samples.
Jazz Chisholm is coming off a down season in which he hit .231/.321/.399 with 98 wRC+ and 3.5 fWAR. The Cardinals also have internal options to weigh, including second baseman JJ Wetherholt, whose elite defense at the keystone has sparked debate about a potential position change.
Written by the SportsMafia Wire desk in our own words from the original reporting (AI-assisted, checked against the source).