Cardinals can nail final offseason move by taking advantage of Pirates' blunder

The final item on the St. Louis Cardinals' shopping list this offseason is finding that right-handed bat who can do damage against left-handed pitching, and it may continue to be a slow burn until they finalize that answer.

Given the state of the Cardinals as a rebuilding club and the role they want that right-handed bat to be as more of a platoon role, it is not exactly an opportunity that veterans are looking to jump at. Even as camp is set to begin in the next few weeks, I would imagine that some of these free agents would rather wait and see if an injury occurs that opens up a bigger role, or the same role with a contender, before potentially signing with St. Louis.

On Monday, the Pittsburgh Pirates finalized a one-year deal with former Cardinal outfielder Marcell Ozuna, and by all indications, that ends any possibility of their former MVP Andrew McCutchen returning to the club in 2026. With McCutchen very much wanting to play still, he makes perfect sense for St. Louis, as long as McCutchen is willing to come to the Cardinals.

Andrew McCutchen is a perfect fit for the Cardinals' right-handed hitting outfielder need

McCutchen was pretty mediocre for the Pirates in 2025, posting a .239/.333/.367 slash line with 13 home runs and 57 RBI in 135 games played. He really doesn't fit the mold of an everyday player anymore, but McCutchen was still productive against left-handed pitching (104 wRC+), which is really what the Cardinals are ultimately looking for here.

On top of being a right-handed bat who can do some damage against left-handed pitching, McCutchen would also provide the Cardinals with additional benefits for their roster and organization. He's a high-character player with a great reputation around the league, is a former MVP, and has a ton of experience playing for both contending clubs and rebuilding teams. Given the fact that Lars Nootbaar is now the oldest position player on the Cardinals' roster, McCutchen would be able to provide a veteran presence that St. Louis just lacks right now.

2026 is all about the young guys, but having one player on the roster like McCutchen would go a long way. As long as McCutchen and the Cardinals are both on the same page about his on-field role being limited, he would provide them with the offensive spark they need while also providing that veteran leadership for a young club.

Fun little nugget of information here too: Victor Scott II's favorite player growing up was McCutchen (he grew up as a Pirates/Braves fan). The Cardinals have been quick to share how excited they are about Scott's work this offseason, so I'm sure adding McCutchen would be a welcomed addition by Scott specifically.

While seeing McCutchen in a Cardinals uniform would certainly be odd, they've been more than willing to add former rivals to their roster in recent years. Former Chicago Cubs standouts like Willson Contreras, Jon Lester, and Jose Quintana all put on a Cardinals uniform (and Quintana came over in a trade with the Pirates at the 2022 trade deadline).

We broke down McCutchen's fit with the Cardinals on the latest episode of Dealin' the Cards while also exploring other players they could target instead.

The Cardinals could opt to just roll with some of their current internal options that range from converting infielders like Thomas Saggese and Jose Fermin to more consistent outfield roles or leaning on recent minor league signings. I do believe they'll still sign one more veteran bat, and I'd love to see that end up being McCutchen.