The St. Louis Cardinals are in the market for “a short-term solution at third base,” according to Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. This comes after the Cardinals lacked a clear everyday third baseman in 2026.
Third base was split primarily between Nolan Gorman, who played 66 games there, and rookie Blaze Jordan, who played 52 games there in 2026. The problem is that neither player produced consistently enough to stay there. Gorman (age 26), in the season, in 85 games, posted a .184/.272/.308 slash line with 9 home runs, 33 RBI’s, and a .580 OPS. Jordan (age 23) posted a .247/.276/.382 slash line with 3 home runs, 28 RBI’s, and a .658 OPS.
Third Base Position Was Weakness For Cardinals In 2026
Gorman posted a -0.3 WAR (Wins Above Replacement), while Jordan posted 0.1 in 2026, according to Fangraphs. The Cardinals are essentially in the market for a stopgap as they try to figure out the long-term future/direction at third base. The Cardinals traded third baseman Nolan Arenado to the Arizona Diamondbacks last season, and Arenado has bounced back in 2026, hitting 30 home runs with an .806 OPS in 522 plate appearances.
Free-agent options include Alec Bohm, Eugenio Suarez, Edmund Sosa, Ramon Urias, Yoan Moncado, Luis Rengifo, Amed Rosario, Santiago Espinal, Kike Hernandez, Jeimer Candelario, Leo Jimenez, and Josh Rojas, per MLB.com. Bo Bichette is also a possibility, but it depends on whether he opts out of his current Mets contract.
Free Agent Options At Third Base For St Louis
The top free-agent options are Eugenio Suarez, Edmund Sosa, and Alec Bohm. Suarez is 35 and hit .212 this year with 26 home runs, 74 RBIs, and a .740 OPS. He’s a bat-first third baseman, as he’s historically a weak defender at the position, posting a -7 OAA (outs above average) in 2026, per Baseball Savant.
Edmund Sosa is a 30-year-old utility player with experience at third base, shortstop, and second base. In 2026, he hit .247 with 9 home runs, 44 RBIs, and a .712 OPS. What’s interesting about Sosa is his strong defense: he posted a positive 4 OAA (outs above average) in 2026, placing him in the 85th percentile, per Baseball Savant.
Sosa is a right-handed hitter with strong success against left-handed pitching. In 124 plate appearances against lefties, Sosa has hit .290 with 6 home runs, 23 RBIs, a .343 on-base percentage, a .492 slugging percentage, and an .835 OPS, per ESPN. This could be the most intriguing option for the Cardinals as they navigate the free-agent market. Another option is another Philly in Alec Bohm, a right-handed hitter who didn’t have a good offensive year but doesn’t strike out, whiff, or chase much. According to Baseball Savant, he had just a 14% K rate in 2026, ranking in the 88th percentile.
Yankees Could Look For McMahon Trade Partner
In the trade market, New York Post writer Joel Sherman said the previous day that the Yankees could try to move third baseman Ryan McMahon this offseason. McMahon, historically an elite defender, had a down year defensively and has remained a liability offensively.
McMahon has one year and 16 million left on his current deal, according to Spotrac. The Yankees would likely have to eat some of that money or throw in a decent prospect or two to make a deal. While McMahon has certainly struggled in 2026 with a .636 OPS, he’s just 31 and fits the “short-term” solution at third base for the Cardinals if they decide to pursue that route.
St Louis Cardinals Looking For Short Term Solution At Third Base