3 salary dump players that can help the Cardinals in 2026

Chaim Bloom has already indicated his plans for the St. Louis Cardinals' 2026 offseason. He wants to heavily invest in player development and scouting, as he should given the rapid decline in the organization's identity across MLB. Until the time comes for homegrown players to take back over the roster, Bloom will have to patch the team for a couple of seasons.

If the Cardinals truly want to field a competitive team next season, they need to solidify the starting rotation, fill the back end of the bullpen, and trade away their plethora of left-handed-hitting players and catchers. The market is gearing up to be busier than ever, which will drive free agent prices above the comfort level of Bill DeWitt Jr. In that case, it is the best course to trade away assets no longer needed in the future makeup of the roster and acquire talent that is affordable. The solution to this just might be to acquire buy-low candidates that teams want to move off of. Here are 3 players that will be treated as salary dump moves but could help the Cardinals in 2026:

Nicholas Castellanos

One glaring need for the Cardinals over the past several seasons has been a right-handed power bat. The emergence of Ivan Herrera has been a welcoming gift to the lineup, but after him it is only first baseman Willson Contreras. The test of the lineup is overloaded with left-handed bats or non-power threats from the right side. The Cardinals will be in the market for a corner outfielder who can fit this role, and the Phillies might be able to solve this problem. Castellanos has been on the decline since his last season with the Cincinnati Reds in 2021. He was a key member of the 2022 Phillies' World Series run but has become a non-factor since. He has only accumulated 1.4 WAR over 4 seasons in Philadelphia and is being paid too much for that level of production. But he does offer pop in his bat with 121 2B and 81 HR in his stint with the Phillies.

They are preparing to eat most of his contract to move him, and the Cardinals have the chance to buy at the absolute lowest value for his market in hopes to give Castellanos a fresh start in the Gateway City.

Eduardo Rodriguez

The Arizona Diamondbacks did not capitalize on their window after reaching the 2023 World Series. They followed up by being aggressive on the market by signing Jordan Montgomery and Eduardo Rodriguez to create one of the deepest rotations in baseball. Since then, Montgomery became a salary dump to the Milwaukee Brewers, and Rodriguez is looking at the same fate this offseason.

The lefty veteran over two seasons has been nothing short of terrible in his production. His ERA has been over 5.00, WHIP over 1.500, and a FIP over 4.50. He is still owed $57 million over the next 3 seasons, but the contract AAV reduces after each season. He will be making $21 million in 2026, $19 million in 2027, and $17 million in 2028. Given the super-inflated pitching free agent market and the qualifying offer sits around $22 million now, this can be a bargain deal to have under control for several seasons. It is a very risky move that might not work out, but the Cardinals are focusing on the future and not on the present. The upside is he becomes a formidable force on the mound once again and the Cardinals have an ace to carry them over the next several seasons.

Randy Arozarena

Nobody loves player reunions more than the St. Louis Cardinals organization. We have seen it time and time again with standing ovations, video tributes, and even staffing personnel returning to the organization. The newest version could be with the player that got away. Arozarena was traded away after the 2019 season for Matthew Liberatore, which still haunts John Mozeliak to this day. The 2020 postseason hero currently just made an ALCS appearance with the Seattle Mariners and might be posted on the trading block this offseason.

The Mariners will be aggressive to supplement their roster to make an attempt back at the American League pennant in 2026. But as a smaller-market team, they are met with financial restraints that can motivate them to shuffle around resources. Arozarena is one of their most expensive players and is not a core piece to the roster like Cal Raleigh, Jorge Polanco, or Josh Naylor is. The Cardinals are also looking to add starting pitching and have been linked to the Mariners for years now. If the Cardinals sell off players to acquire pitching from the Mariners, they should also check on the availability of their former prospect and now postseason legend.