5 Rule 5 draft candidates the St. Louis Cardinals should consider

Major League Baseball's Rule 5 Draft will take place on December 10th in the middle of the Winter Meetings. The Rule 5 Draft presents teams with an opportunity to acquire a player from another organization and hope that he can contribute to the major-league squad in the upcoming season.

In 2023, the St. Louis Cardinals selected right-handed reliever Ryan Fernandez from the Boston Red Sox organization in the Rule 5 Draft. Fernandez, while he's experienced his fair share of ups and downs, will be a key part of the organization's relief corps in 2026.

There are several players to watch in this year's draft for the Cardinals, including right-handed pitcher Michael Morales of the Seattle Mariners, outfielder Yohendrick Pinango of the Toronto Blue Jays, left-handed pitcher Hayden Mullins of the Boston Red Sox, and outfielder Wuilfredo Antunez of the Cleveland Guardians. However, those four don't highlight my list of potential fits for the St. Louis Cardinals in this year's Rule 5 Draft.

These are 5 players St. Louis Cardinals fans should keep their eyes on in the 2026 Rule 5 Draft.

RHP Peyton Pallette, Chicago White Sox

Peyton Pallette will be a sought-after prospect in this year's Rule 5 Draft. The 24-year-old right-hander found his touch last year as a reliever for Chicago's Double-A and Triple-A squads. He finished the year with a 4.20 ERA across 64.1 innings of relief. He struck out 12 batters per nine innings thanks to a mid-90s fastball and a curveball with high spin rates. His changeup generated whiffs more than half of the time in Triple-A last year as well. He could play well in the Cardinals' bullpen next year.

LHP Felipe De La Cruz, New York Mets

Felipe De La Cruz will give the Cardinals a left-handed option out of the bullpen, something the club desperately needs, especially if JoJo Romero is traded this offseason. De La Cruz struggled at the highest level of the minors (7.30 ERA, 32 strikeouts, 17 walks in 24 2/3 innings), but he was able to find success in Double-A with a 3.63 ERA and a 13.2 K/9 rate in 39.2 innings. He relies on a strong sinker/slider combination while also boasting a mid-90s fastball and a cutter. He was reliable against both righties and lefties in the minors.

RHP Grant Kipp, Chicago Cubs

Plucking a potential starting pitcher from your rival club would be satisfying to see as a Cardinals fan. The Cardinals have been seeking starting pitching depth for quite a while now, and Kipp could be an interesting case study for the Cardinals next year. He spent the entire 2025 season at Double-A, fanning 110 batters in 108.2 innings with a 4.22 ERA. He boasts elite spin rates on his breaking balls, and his fastball added a few ticks over the summer. He could enter the Cardinals' relief corps as a long reliever with the potential to start down the road.

RHP Tyler Vogel, San Francisco Giants

Tyler Vogel saw three levels of the minors last year, starting out in High-A and making his way to Triple-A by the end of the year. He finished the 2025 season with a 2.88 ERA and 10.2 strikeouts per nine innings. He has solid speed on his fastball, often hitting 97 MPH, and his breaking balls are effective against left-handed hitters. They hit just .183 against him last year, so his reverse splits could help a bullpen looking to stifle left-handed batters.

RHP RJ Petit, Detroit Tigers

RJ Petit is one of the biggest players in baseball, standing 6-foot-8 and weighing in at 300 pounds. He posted a 2.44 ERA and a 1.06 WHIP with 10.7 K/9 last year across 66.1 innings in both Double-A and Triple-A. He relies on a mid-80s slider, a pitch that generated whiffs at a 58.3% clip against lefties last year. He also employs a mid-90s fastball and an upper-80s changeup with decent control. The Cardinals focused on improving slider usage across the minors this past year with Matt Pierpont. They could capitalize on Petit's plus slider following the 2025 Rule 5 Draft.