The Cardinals' strongest pitch for free agents: (almost) guaranteed starts

When second baseman Ketel Marte's no-trade list was released and it included the St. Louis Cardinals, some took this as an indictment on the organization. The Cardinals haven't made the playoffs since 2022, they're entering a rebuild, and rather than looking to add proven players, they're seeking to offload veterans in favor of prospects. The current competitive window for the Cardinals isn't now, and that will dissuade free agents from wanting to come to St. Louis.

Therefore, the Cardinals' pitch to free agents for the next few winters will have to be creative if they intend on luring free agents to St. Louis.

For starting pitcher Dustin May, the pitch was right in line with what he's been looking for.

St. Louis Cardinals can offer pitchers opportunities to prove themselves, something World Series hopeful teams can't do.

Since the turn of the century, the Cardinals were a team that couldn't waste time in the regular season. They had their eyes set on the postseason throughout the 2000s and 2010s, and this forced their young players to either come up and perform or face demotion. This also made them an attractive location for free agents.

Now, the script has been flipped. No longer are the Cardinals considered perennial National League Pennant contenders, no longer are they ideal landing spots for free agents. Their pitches to free agents will have to get more creative, and one part of that pitch should include the chance for opportunities and playing time, particularly for pitchers in 2026.

That chance to start every five days is one reason why Dustin May chose the Cardinals over other teams.

May, 28, is coming off his healthiest season in 2025. He threw a career-high 132.1 innings with a 4.96 ERA and a 5.39 FIP. He struck out 8.4 batters per nine innings, a figure right in line with his career averages. He made 23 starts last year, another career high. It seems as though May is putting his injury woes behind him and turning a corner, hopefully coming into the promise he once had as a young player.

When speaking with media members, Dustin May touched on why he chose to come to St. Louis. "I thought it was definitely going to give me the best opportunity to go out and compete," said May of his signing in St. Louis. "(The Cardinals) definitely reiterated the fact that they wanted me to go out every fifth day and have the ball. I felt like this gave me the best chance to do that and to do it on a team that I think is going to have a very good group of guys."

In addition to getting a guaranteed start every five days, Dustin May also touched on the Cardinals giving him the best opportunity to compete. The combination of competitiveness, young players on the roster, and a guaranteed start every five days made St. Louis a very appealing location for Dustin May.

The Cardinals bringing opportunity to the table with free agents is something that Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch has been discussing for several weeks now. Goold stated that veteran free agents can come to St. Louis to reinvent their careers or receive a guaranteed 30 starts a year, barring injuries. That alone is appealing to players in their 30s who could be seeking a one-year deal that could lead to a multi-year deal the following year.

Dustin May's contract is a win-win for both the player and the Cardinals. He's being given a chance to prove that he can pitch a full slate of games with efficiency, and the Cardinals are looking to parlay that success into a potential trade deadline deal for prospects or a multi-year extension. Only time will tell if this one-year deal will pay off handsomely for both player and club or if it'll fall flat on its face.