5 Cardinals worthy of an extension into the club's next competitive window

As the offseason has progressed, one thing has become quite clear for the St. Louis Cardinals and their fans: the team isn't looking to contend in 2026 or even 2027.

The organization has traded away Sonny Gray and Willson Contreras already, two players who have two (or more) years left on their contracts. If the Cardinals saw themselves as potential contenders in at least 2027, perhaps both of those veterans would still be on the roster. Alas, that isn't the case, and now both will play for the Boston Red Sox in 2026 and beyond.

In exchange for these veterans, the Cardinals received a splattering of prospects and young major leaguers. Left-handed pitcher Brandon Clarke (22) and right-handed pitcher Yhoker Fajardo (19) are the two major prospects whom the Cardinals traded for, and starters Hunter Dobbins (26) and Richard Fitts (26) will fight for rotation spots next year. The ages and team control of these players made them valuable to Chaim Bloom, and those two factors are key indicators as to when the club's president of baseball operations expects the team to be in contention for pennants once again.

With several prospects still years away from the majors and the new acquisitions having many years of control, Bloom isn't looking at 2026 or 2027 as years where the Cardinals will have their sights set on hardware. We're now looking at 2028 and beyond as potential years of contention for the Cardinals, much to the chagrin of some fans.

With other veterans like Nolan Arenado, JoJo Romero, and Brendan Donovan being actively shopped on the trade market, the expectation to compete in 2027 is lessened even further. Even Lars Nootbaar, who is a free agent after 2027, and Alec Burleson (though to a lesser degree), who is a free agent after 2028, have received ample interest from rival clubs.

With competition not being likely until 2028, the Cardinals' front office must consider which players they intend on having around to lead the team by then. Masyn Winn will be 26 and two years away from free agency, JJ Wetherholt and Liam Doyle will be nearing arbitration by then, and Matthew Liberatore will be 28 and one year away from free agency. The current "core" that we see will be nearing expiration from a contractual standpoint by then, current prospects aside.

Therefore, it may be prudent for Chaim Bloom and the front office to start identifying players they see as cornerstones and leaders for the next era. If they don't start extending these players now, the Cardinals will be stuck in a cycle of relative competitiveness while trading away players as they approach free agency. While this model can be effective — take a look at the Tampa Bay Rays, Chaim Bloom's first organization — it doesn't build fan connection, something the Cardinals are known for.

Extending young players now will send a couple of messages to fans. First, it will give fans a clearer idea on when the brass sees the club competing. Second, these extensions will allow fans to become connected to a player, someone they can buy a jersey for and be confident that the jersey won't become extinct due to trades.

These 5 St. Louis Cardinals should receive extensions to help clarify the club's competitive window and give fans a player to connect to.