Cardinals Prospects and Scherzer Link Shape Offseason

The St. Louis Cardinals, off the postseason since 2022, are at a crossroads but have a bright short-term outlook led by prospects JJ Wetherholt and left-hander Liam Doyle. Wetherholt hit .306/.421/.510 with 17 homers, 23 steals and a .931 OPS across Double-A and Triple-A in 2025 and is MLB.com’s No. 5 overall prospect, while 21-year-old Doyle is a rapidly ascending lefty with high strikeout upside. As the club plans a rebuild this offseason it could pair that young core with a veteran bridge; reports have linked St. Louis to free-agent Max Scherzer as a one-year option because of his postseason value and regional ties. At the Arizona Fall League evaluators saw plenty of raw talent but widespread control and defensive issues, though pitchers such as Houston’s Anderson Brito drew notice for swing-and-miss stuff. The Atlanta Braves’ 2025 rotation was badly disrupted by injuries to starters including Chris Sale, Spencer Schwellenbach, Grant Holmes and AJ Smith-Shawver, and the club found potential in Hurston Waldrep. Meanwhile the Chicago Cubs enter a pivotal offseason as outfielder Kyle Tucker heads to free agency and is projected to command a contract in the hundreds of millions, making re-signing impactful but financially difficult.