The St. Louis Cardinals will enter the 2026 season with a much younger roster. President of Baseball Operations, Chaim Bloom, committed after the 2025 season to shed veteran contracts and give the Cardinals young talent a chance. Players like JJ Wetherholt, Michael McGreevy, Quinn Matthews, and Jordan Walker will all have the opportunity to prove their worth in 2026. However, the Cards are still looking to add a bat in free agency. Most of the big names are off the board, but there are still some options out there. The Cardinals could turn to former Gold Glove outfielder Harrison Bader to come back and help lead the youth movement in St. Louis.
How a Harrison Bader Return Can Help the Cardinals’ Roster.
Right-Handed Bat
The St. Louis Cardinals have made it known that they are looking to add a right-handed bat before the 2026 season starts. Bader fits that need immediately. Bader finished with a career high in homers (17) and RBIs (54) in 2025. He also finished with career highs in batting average (.277) and OPS (.796). While 17 home runs and 54 RBIs don’t exactly jump off the stat sheet, Bader could be exactly what the Cardinals are looking for.
With the numbers Bader put up in 2025, it would definitely insert him into the heart of the Cardinals’ lineup. They are looking for that right-handed bat to provide some power and the ability to get on base. They are also looking to add that bat in a corner outfield spot, which is a spot Bader can fill. While Bader spent most of his time in center with the Cardinals, he spent most of last season in left field with the Minnesota Twins and Philadelphia Phillies. It’s also important to mention that trade talks with the current Cardinals outfielder, Lars Nootbaar, are heating up. If Nootbaar is traded, that will open a spot for the right-handed-hitting Bader to be in the Cardinals’ left-handed-hitting heavy lineup every day.
Veteran Presence
Bader would also add a veteran presence to the very young Cardinals’ clubhouse. Bader came to the big leagues in 2017 with the Cardinals. He spent 5 1/2 seasons with the Cardinals. But the 9-year veteran has also spent time with the New York Yankees, New York Mets, Cincinnati Reds, Twins, and Phillies. Bader has played 924 regular-season games in his big league career. Across those 9 seasons, he has also had the opportunity to be a part of winning teams.
Over 9 seasons, Bader has played in 34 postseason games. Although many of those postseason appearances came after his time in St. Louis, Bader also experienced what it was like to play postseason baseball while being a part of the Cardinals. The Cardinals also want to establish a new winning culture across the organization. Bader was part of the old regime in St. Louis, but has experienced what it’s like to win in other organizations and what it’s like to win with the “Cardinal Way”. Most of the players that are on the current Cardinals’ roster don’t know what winning is at the Major League level. Now, that’s not taking away from their talent level, but it’s the lack of experience. Bader adds the winning experience the Cardinals are looking to gain to build their new culture.
Logistics
The Cardinals’ adding Bader is a best-case scenario for the club. They get the right-handed bat and veteran presence they want to add. However, this move comes down to logistics. Will Bader’s asking price be too high for the Cardinals? Bader’s next contract is projected at 2 years for $25 million ($12.5M AAV). Another question is, would adding Bader block a roster spot for one of the young guys? It is possible, but unlikely. Realistically speaking, the best corner outfield prospect the Cardinals have that’s highly touted is Joshua Baez. Baez has the chance to see Major League action in 2026, but it’s more likely to see him towards the end of the season. All in all, signing Bader would benefit the Cardinals more than not. Plus, Cardinals fans would enjoy getting to see Bader in a Cardinals uniform once again.
Main Photo Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images