Cardinals' first free agent signing is a home run swing by Chaim Bloom

The St. Louis Cardinals made their first free agent splash of the Chaim Bloom era on Saturday, locking in former Los Angeles Dodgers phenom Dustin May to join their rotation for the 2026 season on a one-year deal.

Katie Woo of The Athletic was first to report the news. The Cardinals, who traded away Sonny Gray earlier this offseason as a part of their rebuild, have been very open about their desire to add a free agent starter to their mix this offseason to replace Gray, and they targeted an arm with upside in May.

The deal also comes with a mutual option for 2027. Once the move is officially registered with Major League Baseball, the Cardinals will have to make a 40-man roster move to clear space for May.

The Cardinals have signed Dustin May as their first free agent splash under Chaim Bloom

If you've followed May's career closely, you'll know that injuries have really robbed the 28 year old from reaching his full potential as a starter. May has dynamic stuff, with his sinker having the ability to reach into the high-90s with great horizontal movement, and his sweeper had the highest spin rate of any pitch in 2026.

May was traded by the Dodgers at the 2025 deadline after a rough campaign with them, and things did not go better for him while he was in Boston. Overall, he posted a 4.96 ERA and 4.88 FIP in 132.1 innings, striking out just 8.37 batters per nine innings.

For May's career, he holds a 3.86 ERA in 71 games (57 starts). His best season by far was back in 2021, when he posted a sparkling 13.7 K/9 in his five starts before falling to injury. He's experienced a mixture of arm injuries and freak accidents off the field that have limited his time on the mound in his big league career. 2025 was the first time he started more than 20 games in a single season.

Acquiring May is an upside play by the Cardinals. He could have a terrible year in 2026, and no one would be surprised. But he also has the stuff to be an impact starter in this league, which is why the Cardinals targeted him on a prove it deal. During a rebuild, this is a perfect signing to make, one I have been advocating for all offseason. Love this idea from Chaim Bloom.