Cardinals Sign Dustin May to One-Year Deal With 2027 Mutual Option

St. Louis set May’s 2026 salary at $12 million with a $500,000 buyout on a $20 million option.

Overview

Dustin May’s contract is guaranteed for $12.5 million, comprising a $12 million salary for 2026 and a $500,000 buyout on a $20 million mutual option for 2027.
To create a 40-man roster spot for May, the Cardinals designated outfielder Matt Koperniak for assignment.
May logged a career-high 132.1 innings in 2025, going 7–11 with a 4.96 ERA across 23 starts for the Dodgers and Red Sox after a July 31 trade.
The right-hander, 28, returned this year after major surgeries that included Tommy John in 2021, a 2023 flexor-pronator procedure, and an esophagus repair in 2024, and he missed late-September time with elbow nerve inflammation.
Coverage has cast the signing as a short-term rotation addition that aligns with GM Chaim Bloom’s preference for flexible, low-risk veteran deals.