Cardinals are reportedly signing a veteran Gold Glover to complete offseason wishlist

According to Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat, the St. Louis Cardinals are closing in on a deal with veteran utility player Ramon Urias for the 2026 season. 

The Cardinals signed former Gold Glove infielder Ramon Urias to a one-year deal

Urias, 31, is coming off a down year in 2025, where he still posted 2.2 WAR and ranked in the 88th percentile in outs above average. The infielder has earned the title of Swiss Army Knife over the years, posting solid defensive numbers across the field and winning a Gold Glove in 2023.

Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reported this morning that it is a one-year deal worth $2 million with different incentives in place, and there is a mutual option for the 2027 season.

Interestingly enough, Urias actually put up more WAR last season than he did in his golden 2023. His floor is incredibly high as he plays elite defense at multiple positions. Another thing Urias does relatively well is hit the southpaws. An OPS of .743 in 2025 was in a much better spot than his performance against right-handers. 

Urias should provide a high-floor player to come off the bench against righties and also a veteran in the clubhouse to herd the young players. Cardinals fans have been clamoring for veteran leadership, and Urias may not have been what everyone envisioned, but maybe he’s what the Cardinals need. 

The worst thing a rebuilding team can be bad at is defense. The 2025 Rockies and White Sox put that on full display. They were unwatchable at times due to their awful performance in the field. Urias not only improves his own position defensively, but he’ll likely point others in the right direction, leading to overall improvement and consistency. 

Some fans wanted Andrew McCutchen, while other fans still daydream about Max Scherzer. Urias isn’t a flashy name, but his addition fits well into a rebuilding roster full of unanswered questions. Urias provides certainty and opportunity for leadership. His role is yet to be seen, but this is a move to be happy about as a fan. It’s nice that as soon as the Cards lost hold of super-utility All-Star Brendan Donovan, they picked up another utility piece in Urias. Defense is nothing short of a tradition in The Lou, and that will hold with the newest Cardinal.