Cardinals Could Be In Mix For Cy Young Winner On One Condition

Will the Cardinals sign the star this winter?

Mar 12, 2024; Surprise, Arizona, USA; Cleveland Guardians starting pitcher Shane Bieber (57) bats against the Texas Rangers during the second inning at Surprise Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images / Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images

It's clear that this offseason won't necessarily have fireworks for the St. Louis Cardinals.

St. Louis is hoping to "reset" the organization with hopes of contending more so in 2026 rather than 2025. The New York Mets took a similar approach to the 2024 campaign, but they overperformed and now are four wins away from a trip to the World Series.

Even in cutting payroll, the Cardinals still could look to add, but be strategic about it. One player who should be on their radar in this scenario is Cy Young Award winner Shane Bieber.

The 29-year-old will be a free agent this winter but is coming off elbow surgery. Because of this, he certainly won't get a deal of his value this winter. His market value is projected to be $150 million but it would be surprising if he even got a third of that.

This is a similar situation other pitchers have gone through, like Milwaukee Brewers All-Star Brandon Woodruff entering free agency coming off an injury and landing a short-term deal.

If the Cardinals want to contend -- or at least have a better chance in 2026 -- landing Bieber on a two-year deal for low money would make all of the sense in the world. Ideally, he could return at some point in 2025. But the Cardinals aren't planning to make a run in 2025, so it wouldn't really matter.

Having a fully healthy Bieber in 2026 while the club hopefully is back to being a playoff contender could help propel the club back to the playoffs.

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