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5 Cardinals Players Who May Have Played Their Final Game With the Team

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The 2027 St. Louis Cardinals will not look exactly like the 2026 Cardinals.

The offseason is here and the Cardinals should be able to afford to bring a few pieces to town, at the very least. We've made the case for the Cardinals to target a few pieces already, including Eugenio Suarez, JoJo Romero, Paul Sewald and Shane Bieber, among others. The Cardinals should absolutely look to add this winter, even if that doesn't mean some sort of nine-figure splash.

While there certainly will be pieces coming to town this winter, there also are players who very well could have played their final game as a member of the organization. Here are five to watch this winter.

Nolan Gorman — Infielder

Sep 23, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Nolan Gorman (16) warms up before the game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

There may not be a more obvious player to watch this winter. Gorman hasn't been able to consistently find success in the majors and the slugger was demoted down to Triple-A at one point during the 2026 campaign. At the end of the day, Gorman arguably needs a change of scenery.

Pedro Pages — Catcher

Sep 23, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; St. Louis Cardinals catcher Pedro Pages (43) looks on before the game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Pages isn't going to be the Cardinals' starting catcher in 2026. Leo Bernal is expected to have the role out of the gate. Pages is good defensively, but hasn't been great offensively. With so many young guys in the organization, arguably it's time to rip the Band-Aid off.

Cesar Prieto — Utility

Memphis’ Cesar Prieto (31) smiles with teammates in the dugout during the game between the Memphis Redbirds and Nashville Sounds at AutoZone Park in Memphis, Tenn., on June 19, 2026. Memphis defeated Nashville 4-1. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Prieto played in 16 games in the majors in 2026 and batted .079. At the end of the day, he didn't do much to give the Cardinals' lineup a boost when he was in the majors in 2026. If the Cardinals were to move on from him, it wouldn't move the needle much.

Ryne Stanek — Relief Pitcher

Sep 24, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Ryne Stanek (55) pitches against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the eighth inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Stanek had a solid season overall for the Cardinals in 2026. He finished with a 4.02 ERA in 70 appearances. That 4.02 ERA is skewed by a few rough outings early on in the season. In general, he was dependable. But he has a club option for the 2027 season and it would arguably be surprising to see it get picked up.

George Soriano — Relief Pitcher

Sep 22, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; St. Louis Cardinals pitchers Luis Gastelum (left) and George Soriano (65) walk on the field before the game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Soriano made 70 appearances for the Cardinals in 2026 and had a 4.23 ERA in 66 innings pitched. It was an up-and-down campaign for St. Louis. He's still under team control, but this bullpen needs a facelift this winter in general. The Cardinals need to add multiple hurlers, and that will lead to difficult decisions.

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