A Bat For the Birds

Newly appointed President of Baseball Operations Chaim Bloom walked into St. Louis and clearly didn’t like what he saw. The Cardinals have torn it down. After what felt like a century-long run of success (it wasn’t quite that long), the Redbirds are back to square one. Veteran All-Stars Willson Contreras, Sonny Gray, and Brendan Donovan all said sayonara. Out with the old and in with the new? Well, some Cardinal fans think a little old could be a necessity. 

The Cardinals have clearly chosen a direction centered around rebuilding with young talent like Ivan Herrera (DH/C), JJ Wetherholt (INF), and Alec Burleson (1B/OF). There are definitely pieces to start building the puzzle, but some stagnating players have been left to figure it out on their own. One of the best ways to help a young player is to have veterans in the clubhouse who have been there, done that. 

Andrew McCutchen and the Pirates have seemingly split ways this offseason after the recent addition of Marcell Ozuna to Pittsburgh. ‘Cutch,’ as fans refer to him, has openly expressed his displeasure with the Pirates organization for not allowing him to call it a career where he first debuted. What better way to get back at them than by joining a division rival and becoming a thorn in their side? McCutchen had an OPS+ of 95 in a full season's workload in 2025, a near league-average performance. His .743 OPS against left-handed pitching was above league-average. If he were to sport the Birds on the Bat in 2026, he’d be a platoon bat. Putting the veteran in matchups that promote success will not only make the most of his time in The Lou but could also create elite return on investment. It’s worth noting that the veteran presence that McCutchen would add to an otherwise inexperienced club is priceless.

The current projected bench in St. Louis consists of: Yohel Pozo (RHH), Nathan Church (LHH), Jose Fermin (RHH), and Thomas Saggese (RHH). It looks like a lot of righties, I know. It’s not about a lack of handedness; it’s the lack of production. Pozo is slotted in as the backup catcher and saw varying levels of success last year. The rest of the bench has seen zero sustainable success in a big-league batter's box. Cutch could be added for next to nothing, and his veteran presence alone makes this deal a no-brainer. 

For this Cardinals offense to be young and dumb enough to find success, they need to know what it looks like to be a smart, everyday player at the highest level, day in and day out. McCutchen can play house in that regard and show these baby birds what it looks like to know your way around The Show. 

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