Will Cards pull any surprises at Winter Meetings?

ST. LOUIS — The Cardinals struck quickly this Hot Stove season with the November signing of reliever Brett Cecil. Their work retooling a roster that wasn’t strong enough to extend the organization’s string of postseason appearances in 2016, however, is far from over.

That work will continue next week, when agents, front-office personnel and media members descend upon the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center outside Washington, D.C., for the annual Winter Meetings.

• Hot Stove Tracker

MLB.com and MLB Network will have wall-to-wall coverage of the 2016 Winter Meetings. Fans can watch live streaming of all news conferences and manager availability on MLB.com, including the Rule 5 Draft on Dec. 8 at 8 a.m. CT.

The Cardinals’ search for an outfielder, which is still the club’s greatest priority, may be about to pick up steam, too. The Mets’ re-signing of Yoenis Cespedes this week shook loose a stagnant outfield market. The Cardinals have explored free-agent options (most notably Dexter Fowler) and trade possibilities as they look for an upgrade.

So with the Winter Meetings approaching, here is a look at what the Cardinals still need, who could be on the move and how payroll plays into it all.

Arbitration eligible

The Cardinals have six arbitration-eligible players — Trevor Rosenthal, Matt Adams, Seth Maness, Carlos Martinez, Kevin Siegrist and Michael Wacha — and are expected to tender a contract to each of them. Those decisions must be formally made by the end of the day on Friday.

Club needs

Outfielder: This was the Cardinals’ biggest need at the start of the offseason and remains an unaddressed one to this point. With Matt Holliday and Brandon Moss gone, the club is left wanting an outfielder that can fill a left- or center-field hole. Randal Grichuk is projected to take the other opening.

Position player depth: Whether it’s adding another infielder or an additional backup catcher, the Cardinals would still like to fortify the depth of their roster. They could make a surprise splash and go big — MLB.com’s Jon Paul Morosi reported earlier this …

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