The St. Louis Cardinals chose to sell at the trade deadline this year. Their sale included trades of veterans such as right-hander Dustin May, who they sent to the eventual World Series champion Milwaukee Brewers in a blockbuster deal for two prospects.
May recently declined his mutual option for the 2027 season and is now a free agent once again, but the Cardinals took a chance on him last offseason hoping he could rebuild his value. They gave him a one-year, $12.5 million contract in December of 2025.
It remains to be seen where he will end up. However, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News Democrat expects the Cardinals to at least consider a reunion with the veteran right-hander.
“I’m not certain the fit will work for either party but I would expect May and the Cardinals to have at least a conversation about a reunion,” Jones posted on X.
St. Louis Cardinals Could Consider Reunion With Dustin May
Before the trade, May went 5-7 with a 4.38 ERA in 21 starts and 109 innings and also recorded 106 strikeouts. But after struggling a bit in Milwaukee down the stretch, he finished 7-9 with a 4.70 ERA and 144 strikeouts over 145 2/3 innings pitched and 31 total starts.
He pitched well in St. Louis though, so he certainly rebuilt some of his value. Given his struggles in Milwaukee, however, he is still an ideal candidate for a reunion in St. Louis. The Cardinals may have to pay him a little more, but he likely will only sign for a year or two and potentially even become a trade candidate again. That could allow the Cardinals to recoup some of that value and turn it into more top prospects to strengthen their farm system.
The right-hander fits exactly what the Cardinals are looking for and wouldn’t necessarily force them to break the bank, so he could still make sense for their rebuild. He spoke highly of his time in St. Louis, which makes a reunion possible, and the fit does make sense, especially if the Cardinals are still a year or two away from being a true contender again.
If they don’t sign him, they could always look into other options such as former American League Cy Young Award winner Shane Bieber, who is also looking to rebuild his value in free agency and potentially catch on somewhere. May made sense last year because he was bouncing back from an injury, and he finally proved he could stay healthy for a full season.
Why St. Louis Cardinals Should Sign Dustin May
May should be St. Louis’ top target because they aren’t going to be in the mix for big names such as Sonny Gray and Tarik Skubal. May is within their price range and makes more sense than one of the top starters on the market, which will be far more expensive.
It will be interesting to see if the Cardinals and May ultimately come back together for a reunion, but May will be an intriguing starter to follow in free agency this winter.
Cardinals Predicted to Consider Reunion With 4-Time World Series Champ