The St. Louis Cardinals are in need of a star. Who could it be?

For the past three seasons, the St. Louis Cardinals have been missing one thing in their lineup: a true, bona fide star.

The last stars that the Cardinals have had in their lineup were the 2022 versions of Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado. Since then, not a single player for the Cardinals has broken past the four fWAR mark. Masyn Winn reached 3.6 fWAR in 2024, and that's the highest mark for the team since the 2023 season. Brendan Donovan is on pace to be just under five fWAR this year.

Coincidentally, the Cardinals are in a bit of a skid as far as team performance goes these past three years.

This past offseason, Jed Hoyer and the Chicago Cubs recognized their need for a star to pair with Ian Happ, Nico Hoerner, and rising star Pete Crow-Armstrong. They went out and traded for Kyle Tucker, who is 14th in total fWAR over the last three seasons.

Tucker is a true superstar who can lead a lineup. The Cardinals don't have that type of player currently in the lineup.

In a recent interview on 101 ESPN, outgoing president of baseball operations John Mozeliak addressed this need for a star. "As I think we look at the game and where it's going, I think ownership understands that, at some point, they are going to have to, if we don't develop it, then you have to find it. But in the meantime, we are going to keep looking," said Mozeliak.

Redbird Rants site editor Josh Jacobs addressed these comments specifically; I would like to discuss who could be that star for the Cardinals.

The St. Louis Cardinals are in need of a superstar. Where could they find one?

The most obvious internal option would be Masyn Winn. He's already accumulated 2.1 fWAR in only 68 games this year. He could hit 4.5 fWAR by the end of the year if he keeps up this pace. A player with that total is a very good player, but he isn't a superstar. Players who have accumulated 4.5 fWAR in the last two years include Corey Seager, Marcell Ozuna, and Mookie Betts (in 116 games) in 2024, and Alex Bregman, Adolis Garcia, and Cody Bellinger in 2023. Again, all very good players, but not your typical superstars.

Perhaps JJ Wetherholt could be that 6-WAR player, but we won't see that come to fruition for at least two more years.

At this point, a star on either the pitching staff or position player group would be welcome. The club appears to be set in the infield, but they could use a superstar outfielder or starting pitcher. Where could one be found?

LHP Tarik Skubal

Left-handed starting pitcher Tarik Skubal is a free agent after the 2026 season. Would the DeWitt family and Chaim Bloom be comfortable shelling out $400 million to Skubal over eight or ten years? Probably not, but that's the type of money the organization will have to pay to get a true ace in the rotation.

OF Kyle Tucker

Ironically, Kyle Tucker will headline the 2025-2026 MLB free agent group. He'll likely land a $400 million contract, too. Tucker is an exceptional outfielder, and he'll be in his age-29 season next year, so whoever signs him will have at least four more years of peak performance out of Tucker. He certainly fits the "star" bill, but the Cardinals will have to beat out several other bidders for Tucker's services in free agency.

The most likely route for the Cardinals to acquire a star would be their most typical way: a trade.

John Mozeliak has traded for stars like Matt Holliday, Paul Goldschmidt, and Nolan Arenado during his tenure. Chaim Bloom will have to do the same if he wants a star and doesn't think his own players will reach that level of play.

There are two challenges with this approach. First, star players aren't often available for trades. Second, it will cost quite a bit to land a top-30 player via trade.

RHP Sandy Alcantara

Right-handed pitcher Sandy Alcantara is being mentioned as a player who could be moved at the deadline. John Mozeliak could give Chaim Bloom a top-of-the-rotation arm as a parting gift. Alcantara is in his first year back following Tommy John surgery, and he has a 6.69 ERA through 15 starts this year. He's struck out only 59 batters in 74 innings. Sandy has a 2.74 ERA through four starts and 23 innings in the month of June, though. He's struck out 19 batters while allowing hitters to hit just .207 against him. He could be turning a corner as he distances himself from his surgery. That would be an interesting star to add to a solid rotation for 2026 that will include Sonny Gray and Matthew Liberatore.

RHP Freddy Peralta

Kiley McDaniel of ESPN listed the Cardinals as a trade partner for Freddy Peralta of the Milwaukee Brewers. Since 2021, Peralta ranks 21st in pitcher fWAR. He's averaged just under 11 strikeouts per nine innings in that span, and he's continued his success this year with a 2.90 ERA and a 138 ERA+ through 17 starts and 93 innings. Peralta has an affordable $8 million team option for 2026. The Cardinals could look to extend either Alcantara, who has a team option for the 2027 season, or Peralta, should they acquire either in a trade.

OF Jarren Duran

One final long-shot superstar trade candidate for the Cardinals would be outfielder Jarren Duran. I wrote last month about how the Cardinals shouldn't trade their top two prospects for Jarren Duran. This doesn't mean they shouldn't entertain a deal for the All-Star outfielder.

Duran has a .257/.311/.408 slash line this year; that makes him a slightly below league-average hitter according to OPS+. However, he posted a .285/.342/.492 slash line with 21 home runs and 34 stolen bases last year for a 134 OPS+; when paired with his plus defense (10 outs above average) in right field last year, that's a top-10 position player.

We don't yet know if the 2024 version of Jarren Duran is the real version, if the 2025 version of him is legitimate, or if he falls somewhere in between, but Chaim Bloom has familiarity with the former top prospect, and there's a chance he'll want one of his own players back.

Duran still has three more years of team control after this year. The Cardinals would have to include a hefty package of prospects to land Duran, but their top two prospects would be an overpay. Perhaps Bloom could interest the Red Sox in a reclamation project in Jordan Walker along with some lesser prospects (a catcher, maybe?).

The St. Louis Cardinals have failed to have a superstar lead their team these past three seasons. They've managed to float on by with a collection of above-average players, but they'll need a star to take their team to the next level. Chaim Bloom should prioritize finding a star as his first task when he becomes the organization's president of baseball operations.