6 former Cardinals who should cash in big during MLB free agency

Free agency is off to a hot start with Josh Naylor signing a five-year deal to stay with the Seattle Mariners. He's the first of many dominoes to fall this winter, with free agency officially kicking off.

Even though the St. Louis Cardinals don't intend to spend much in free agency, that doesn't mean that former Cardinals won't get the bag via free agency. Here's a look at some of the biggest names who could receive a large contract this winter.

RHP Zac Gallen

Zac Gallen never pitched an inning for the St. Louis Cardinals, but he was a member of the organization for nearly three years.

Gallen was drafted in the third round of the 2016 MLB Draft by the Cardinals. He pitched for the organization for two years before being traded to the Miami Marlins as a part of the deal that brought outfielder Marcell Ozuna to St. Louis. Gallen was then flipped once again to the Arizona Diamondbacks for Jazz Chisholm Jr.

Gallen was one of the game's best pitchers from 2020 through 2024. He finished in the top 10 of National League Cy Young voting three separate times including a third overall finish in 2023. Gallen posted a 3.34 ERA with a 127 ERA+ and 9.7 K/9. However, things didn't go as well in 2025 for the now-30-year-old starter.

Gallen made 33 starts this past year and logged 192 innings. He was certainly present throughout the entire year. Gallen posted a 4.83 ERA, the eighth-worst mark among all qualified starting pitchers. Gallen saw a drop in his strikeout rate and a severe jump in home run rates. He went from allowing just 0.8 home runs per nine innings in 2024 to a whopping 1.5 home runs per nine innings in 2025. He gave up 31 home runs, third most in baseball.

Despite this unimpressive showing in his walk year, many experts believe Zac Gallen will receive a nice payday in free agency this year. Tim Britton of The Athletic has him pegged for a two-year, $42 million deal. Tim Kelly of Bleacher Report predicted a two-year, $45 million deal. Kiley McDaniel of ESPN gave Gallen a more lucrative four-year, $76 million deal. Other outlets have given him a nine-figure deal.

Regardless of the contract Zac Gallen signs, he's going to receive a hefty pay raise with an AAV nearing or exceeding $20 million. That's a nice chunk of change for the former Cardinal farmhand. Could Chaim Bloom extend the DeWitt family wallets to sign Zac Gallen this winter? Only time will tell.

DH Marcell Ozuna

Marcell Ozuna's time with the Cardinals was a bit underwhelming. He played only two seasons with the Cardinals, slashing .262/.327/.451 from 2018 through 2019, a far cry from the .312/.376/.548 slash line and 37 home runs he posted in the year prior to his trade to St. Louis. The Cardinals opted not to re-sign Ozuna following the 2019 season, and his time with the Braves began.

Ozuna's last contract paid him handsomely; he signed a four-year deal worth $65 million with the Atlanta Braves prior to the 2022 season. Ozuna rewarded the Braves for their financial commitment to him, finishing fourth in MVP voting in 2024 thanks to his 39 home runs and 104 RBIs.

Ozuna enters free agency on the heels of another underwhelming showing. He hit 21 home runs and drove in only 68 runners with a .232 batting average and a .756 OPS. He's solely a designated hitter at this point in his career, and there are serious concerns about his mounting strikeout numbers.

Regardless, Ozuna is likely to see a two-year deal worth several millions of dollars. Various outlets peg him for a one or two-year deal with an AAV around $15 million.