REDBIRD REVIEW
Greetings. The Cardinals have been browsing the aisles in search of a roster fit. The merchandise, in this instance, is a right-handed hitting outfielder.
If this outfielder could be used as a utility piece for the infield, that would be a bonus. But the options that fit that description are few.
The list of available right-handed hitting, free agent outfielders is thinning out. Cardinals president of baseball operations Chaim could fill the void through a trade – but who would he target? I have no idea.
So let’s take a look at the available RH bats, the free agents, who can play the outfield. A late note: as I was preparing this piece, one of the outfielders, Austin Slater, signed a minor-league deal with the Tigers. And the supply may dwindle again by the time I finish writing this.
Potential options:
Tommy Pham
Age: the former Cardinal is 38.
Positives: Dude is an intense competitor, highly motivated, cerebral, and has an edge. Pham doesn’t require additional inspiration to keep going – he loves playing ball – but he’d like to become a 200-homer, 200-steals guy. He can play all three outfield positions but hasn’t been used in center since 2024. Pham can be streaky but his hot stretches can carry an offense. Last season, as a Pirate, Pham slugged .430 over the final three months and performed 16 percent above league average offensively. In 2025 he had a 47.2% hard‑hit rate (76th percentile) and a 91.6 mph average exit velocity (84th percentile). His bat speed was quick enough; 73.4 mph (68th percentile.) In 2025 Pham registered his best contact rate in a full season since 2019. Some numbers have declined, but Pham still has plenty of game.
Negatives? Pham crushed lefties for a long time, but over the past two seasons, his level of offense against LHP was 13% below league average. But is that an accurate reading? Pham had a high walk rate, kept strikeouts down, and was obviously victimized by unfair batted-ball luck – as evidenced by his outlier .245 average on balls in play. Pham is no longer a plus defender, but his overall defense is adequate. The numbers tell us he’s a below-average baserunner.
Question: Pham’s personality has some bristles, and I don’t know how that would play in a Cardinal clubhouse filled with many young players. But he’s been respected (and was popular) with his teammates at every stop, and his excellent work ethic sets a good example.
Summary: Pham certainly fits the platoon-bat job description. The Cardinals would ask him to be a solid role player, which is fine. But Pham isn’t a middle-lineup force.
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Andrew McCutchen
Age: 39. He’s been associated with the Pittsburgh Pirates longer than the Jolly Roger.
Positives: Pedigree. During a 17-season MLB career, “Cutch” has won a National League MVP award, a gold glove, multiple silver sluggers, and is a five-time All-Star choice. Offensively, McCutchen has cudgeled lefty pitchers through his career; even in his advanced baseball age he’s still above league average offensively over the last three seasons. An esteemed leadership presence. Highly professional. Has put his ego aside to accept a lesser role. Seemingly an ideal touchstone for young players.
Negatives: It’s pretty much over for him defensively. McCutchen has started only 65 games total, since the start of the 2023 season. And he’s averaged only 222 innings of outfield work over the past three seasons. The quality of his defense has been fine, but the Pirates have kept him busy as a DH. If he signed a one-year deal with the Cardinals, McCutchen would have to be utilized in an expanded outfield role. Is he capable of doing that?
Question: The Pirates are moving on from McCutchen and made that clear by signing free-agent outfielder/DH Marcell Ozuna to a one-year contract earlier this week. So what are McCutchen’s options? He’s always been treated well in St. Louis – and has enjoyed playing here. But the rebuilding Cardinals are emphasizing youth, and if the Redbirds don’t want to station McCutchen in left field, it makes no sense to give him a bunch of at-bats at DH.
Summary: McCutchen has been one of my favorite players, but I have to take the sentiment out of this … and I just don’t see a fit. And I was hoping to see a fit. To be a RH platoon bat, McCutchen would have to play a lot more outfield … and that doesn’t seem feasible.
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Randal Grichuk
Age: He’s 34. And that kind of makes me feel old because Grichuk was 22 in his first MLB season (for the Cardinals) in 2014. He played four seasons for the Cardinals.
Positives: If you look at his underlying metrics last season – (xBA .262, xSLG .453), it appears that Grichuk still has enough juice left in his bat. He also has a career .500 slugging percentage against lefty pitchers. Though he slugged .430 against LHP last season, Grichuk’s poor batting average and OBP dropped him to 11 percent below league average overall when facing left-handers. Before that, Grichuk went off on lefties from 2022 through 2024, thundering to a .317 average, .573 slugging percentage and a .941 OPS. He can play all three outfield spots but his center-field defense is shaky.
Negatives: The Yankees and Phillies have pursued Grichuk, and that would likely make him too expensive – even on a one-year deal – for the rebuilding Cardinals and their low-payroll limitations. And Grichuk hasn’t generated much offense against right-handed pitching over the last three seasons.
Question: Would Grichuk prefer to play for a contender or make a “homecoming” return to St. Louis?
Summary: Grichuk is probably the best pure right-handed platoon power bat on the free-agent market. (Among outfielders.) But is he out of STL’s reach?
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Starling Marte
Age: 37
Positives: He can still hit. In 98 games for the Mets last season, Marte batted .270 with a .335 OBP, .410 slug and was 11 percent above league average offensively. Respected veteran in the clubhouse.
Negatives: Unfortunately, Marte suffered with a deep bone bruise in his right knee last season, a persistent malady that has limited him to less than 100 games played for three consecutive seasons. The ailment has eaten into his playing time, limited his defensive range, and relegated him to DH platoon duties. The power is still there, but doesn’t make as much noise. Marte’s slugging percentage has dropped by 58 percent over the last three seasons.
Question: Can Marte overcome the bad knee that’s caused such playing-time limitations and reduced power? The concerns have put a chill in his free-agent value.
Summary: I could be wrong, but Marte is an awkward fit for a rebuilding team that has the youngest roster in the majors. And the Cardinals surely wouldn’t go for a significant one-year salary. And we don’t know if the knee is stable.
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Other right-handed hitting candidates
– Manuel Margot, age 32: His primary plus is above-average defense in center field, and he also can play in the outfield corners, so the flexibility adds value. He’s been an above-average hitter against lefties during his career, and from 2021 through 2024 Margo batted .283 with a .744 OPS against them. But that’s about it; Margot 18 percent below league average offensively vs. righties since 2021. Overall, he’s been a below-average hitter (per wRC+) in eight of his 10 MLB seasons.
-- Mark Canha, age 37: He was a reliable OBP source vs. lefties for a long time before cratering during an injury-damaged 2025 season. Canha had a serious left elbow injury that twice put him on the IL last season and limited him to 70 MLB plate appearances against lefties. From 2021 through 2024, Canha had a .356 OBP and .424 slug vs. LHP and was 20 percent above league average per wRC+. But last season his performance vs. lefties included a .290 OBP, .317 slug and a wRC+ that put him 32 percent below league average as a hitter. Canha has declining power, can be used in the cornet outfield and maybe some at first base ... but his baseball health is a definite concern.
– Kiké Hernández, age 34: There’s a lot to like here, which is why the mighty Dodgers keep bringing him back as an instant-energy contributor. This a player of true versatility, having played in all three outfield spaces, second base, third base and shortstop. Hernandez is a smooth contact hitter with above-average pop against lefties; his career slug against LHP is .450. (That said, his slug was only .382 vs. lefties over the past three seasons.) But … but … but … after playing through considerable pain in 2025 to help the Dodgers win their second straight World Series, Hernandez underwent elbow surgery and will be out indefinitely.
-- Chris Taylor, age 35: the younger Taylor would be a fantastic fit, but that guy doesn't exist. It got so bad last season that the Dodgers let him go, and Taylor was collected by the Angels. He wasn't any better for Anaheim. Last season he batted .186 with a .307 slug, struck put 34 percent of the time, and finished 45% below league average offensively per wRC+. Does that seem like a fit for the Cardinals? Of course not.
Thanks for reading …
–Bernie
Bernie was inducted into the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame in 2023. During a St. Louis sports-media career that goes back to 1985, he’s won multiple national awards for column writing and sports-talk hosting – and was the lead sports columnist at the Post-Dispatch from 1989 through 2015. Before that Bernie spent a year at the Dallas Morning News, covering the Dallas Cowboys during Tom Landry’s final season (1988) plus the sale of the team to Jerry Jones and the hiring of Jimmy Johnson as coach. Bernie has covered several Baseball Hall of Fame managers during his media career including Tony La Russa, Whitey Herzog, Earl Weaver, Joe Torre and (as an interim) Red Schoendienst. In his career as a beatwriter and columnist, Bernie covered Pro Football Hall of Fame coaches Joe Gibbs, Tom Landry, Jimmy Johnson and Dick Vermeil.
Bernie has covered and written about many great St. Louis sports team athletes including Albert Pujols, Kurt Warner, Brett Hull, Yadier Molina, Adam Wainwright, Jim Edmonds, Marshall Faulk, Scott Rolen, Orlando Pace, Isaac Bruce, Torry Holt, Adam Wainwright, Chris Carpenter, Al MacInnis, Brian Sutter, Bernie Federko, Chris Pronger, Dan Dierdorf, Jackie Smith, Matt Holliday and Aeneas Williams. Bernie covered every baseball Cardinals’ postseason game from 1996 through 2014 and was there to chronicle teams that won four NL pennants and two World Series. He provided extensive coverage on the “Greatest Show” St. Louis Rams and has written extensively on the St. Louis Blues and Mizzou football and basketball. Bernie was/is a longtime voter for the Baseball Hall of Fame, Pro Football Hall of Fame, Heisman Trophy and the St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Fame.
You can access his columns, videos and the podcast version of the videos here on STL Sports Central, catch him regularly on KMOX (AM or FM) as part of the Gashouse Gang, Sports Rush Hour, Sports Open Line or Sports On a Sunday Morning shows. And you can catch weekly “reunion” segments here at STL Sports Central featuring Bernie and his longtime friend Randy Karraker.