MLB insider links Cardinals to veteran right-handed slugger

Chaim Bloom isn't quite finished rounding out the St. Louis Cardinals 2026 roster.

In his search for final pieces to the puzzle, Bloom has settled on finding a right-handed hitter who can play both corner infield spots along with corner outfield spots. With Alec Burleson, Nolan Gorman, and Lars Nootbaar occupying three of those spots and all hitting from the right side, a right platoon bat would bode well for the Cardinals. It's a plus if this free agent is a veteran with ample experience to pass onto the younger players.

Harrison Bader has been mentioned by some as a possible signing, but Bader's strong 2025 season likely prices him out of the Cardinals' range in both years and dollars. That leaves the options limited for Bloom when it comes to free agent right-handed hitters.

Jon Heyman, however, has linked the Cardinals with one veteran who can play all four corner positions on the field: Miguel Andujar.

Jon Heyman links the St. Louis Cardinals to veteran outfielder Miguel Andujar.

Jon Heyman of the New York Post posted on Twitter/X on Monday saying that Miguel Andujar has received plenty of interest from several teams in search of a right-handed outfielder. He linked the Texas Rangers, San Diego Padres, St. Louis Cardinals, Cincinnati Reds, Chicago Cubs, and Athletics to Andujar for the 2026 season.

Miguel Andujar is a nine-year veteran of the game. He split the 2025 season between the Athletics and the Cincinnati Reds. He finished the year with a .318/.352/.470 slash line for a .822 OPS, 10 home runs, and 44 runs batted in for a 125 OPS+, the second-highest mark of his career.

Andujar, who turns 31 in early March, played all across the diamond last year, logging 13 innings at first base, 237.2 innings at third base, 217 innings in left field, and 22 innings in right field. He's been able to play multiple corners of the diamond throughout his career. He's been a negative defender at these various positions, but the Cardinals wouldn't be signing him for his glove.

Andujar hit well against all pitchers last year, but he was excellent against left-handed pitchers. He posted a .389/.409/.589 slash line against southpaws last year for a 171 wRC+. That figure would be a welcome addition for a team that saw its two right-handed corner infielders depart via trade this winter in Nolan Arenado and Willson Contreras. While Andujar likely won't see as much time as those two saw last year, he would be a strong bench bat and platoon hitter.

As a team, the Cardinals ranked 16th in wRC+ against left-handed pitchers with a mark of just 97. Andujar's strong offensive numbers against lefties would be a huge boost to the team in 2026.

Both FanGraphs and Spotrac project Andujar to receive a one-year deal worth between five and six-million dollars. The Cardinals could sweeten the deal by adding an option for 2027 that includes an opt-out worth $500,000 or so.

While this is all still hearsay, it's important to remember that Chaim Bloom has been discussing a right-handed hitter as one of the final additions he wants to make this offseason. After inking Dustin May and Ryne Stanek to free agent contracts, signing Andujar would be the icing on this restructured cake that is the 2026 St. Louis Cardinals.