The St. Louis Cardinals are a young, ascending team who are looking to begin a rebuild in the offseason. Chaim Bloom is taking over for John Mozeliak as president of baseball operations, and with that, a big change is coming.
One of those changes is expected to involve the player personnel, as Bloom aims to rebuild the Cardinals in the offseason. Shedding money is a way to start rebuilding, but even so, the Cardinals could make an interesting decision amid such a rebuild.
Joel Reuter of Bleacher Report identified 10 players across baseball who could earn big extensions in the offseason. Even though the Cardinals are looking to begin a rebuild, Reuter named a defensive phenom for St. Louis who could be in line for such a deal.
Offseason Could be a Win for Winn
"The talk of the offseason is always players joining new teams in free agency and on the trade market," Reuter writes, "but it's also a time when teams lock up their own in-house talent with long-term extensions."
St. Louis will likely see some of their players depart by way of trade, which will be at the center of attention for the Cardinals in the offseason. But with a young core, the Cardinals have an opportunity to lock up a young star for a long time.
Of the 10 names Reuter goes on to mention as extension candidates, Cardinals 23-year-old defensive phenom Masyn Winn was St. Louis's top extension candidate.
He's been one of the best defensive shortstops, ranking second only to Bobby Witt Jr. in Fielding Run Value on Baseball Savant. At only 23 years old, he's one of the most electric defensive players in baseball.
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Offensively, he's having a solid year once again. His .258 batting average isn't too far off his 2024 mark of .267. His .688 OPS is a bit lower than his season total in 2024 (.730), as is his OPS+ of 93 compared to his 104 OPS+ in 2024.
While he isn't the most prominent offensive player, his elite defense, combined with a league-average offense, is more than worth locking up in a long-term extension.
A long-term extension would likely keep him signed through at least the 2030 season. It also won't cost a lot, either, as his lower offensive upside might keep a potential extension a bit lower than someone with higher offensive upside.
A Winn extension would be a huge win for the Cardinals. If he can slightly improve his offense, then an extension would be even more worth it. Winn has shown enough offensively and defensively for Bloom to extend him to a long-term deal.
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