3 additions Cardinals can make after Albert Pujols signed with Dodgers

1. OF Yoenis Cespedes

If the Cardinals were looking to add a slugger to their lineup, look no further than former New York Mets outfielder Yoenis Cespedes.

While his tenure in New York ended in chaotic fashion, Cespedes is perhaps the biggest name remaining on the open market. When healthy, the outfielder has the ability to hit the ball out of the ballpark. In his eight-year career, Cespedes has tallied 156 home runs, 475 runs scored, 528 RBI and 870 hits all on a .273 batting average and .824 OPS.

We mentioned healthy for a reason, as Cespedes has dealt with a variety of injuries recently, including undergoing double heel surgery in 2018 and fracturing his ankle in 2019. For St. Louis, they won’t need to start Cespedes every game. Their outfield of Tyler O’Neill, Harrison Bader and Dylan Carlson has been extremely productive in the batter’s box. How about using Cespedes as a spot starter and a pinch hitting option?

MLB fans have seen Pablo Sandoval thrive in his role with the Atlanta Braves this season. The Cardinals would be wise to try and do the same with Cespedes, especially if they want to make a run at the World Series this season.