8 former fan-favorite Cardinals players without a job as Spring Training nears

These former Cardinals are stuck in free agency at the moment.

St Louis Cardinals v Cleveland Indians
St Louis Cardinals v Cleveland Indians | Ron Schwane/GettyImages
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4) Harrison Bader

One of the most exciting players on this list, Harrison Bader might have had one of the biggest followings of an individual player with St. Louis over the last five or six seasons.

Upon his debut in 2017, Bader captured the imagination of Cardinals' fans with elite defense in center field, good bat-to-ball skills, sneaky power, and speed on the base paths that made him such a dynamic player to watch. Growing out his hair into the flow that fans knew him for really cemented his place as a fan favorite amongst Cardinal Nation.

Without a job right now, Bader is actually one former Cardinal who would make a lot of sense to bring back. The Cardinals are seeking a right-handed bat and likely one who can play center field. Since leaving St. Louis, his offense has not been the same, but if he platoons a bit and plays against left-handed pitching often, Bader can be a valuable asset in 2025.

It's not easy to find top-end defense in center field, so I am sure other teams will be interested in Bader's services at some point. He's coming off a pretty underwhelming season with the New York Mets, appearing in 143 games but slashing just .236/.284/.373. He could really use a rebound season in 2025 to boost his free-agent value in 2026 and beyond.

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