Marco Scutaro is turning into a hot free agent.

The St. Louis Cardinals are emerging as a surprise player in the Scutaro sweepstakes, according to major-league sources, and the New York Yankees are another club with likely interest.

The Cardinals would play Scutaro at second base, enabling them to take their time developing top prospect Kolten Wong, and use Daniel Descalso as a utility man.

The San Francisco Giants, who on Tuesday re-signed free-agent leadoff man Angel Pagan for $40 million over four years, also are working to retain Scutaro, their No. 2 hitter.

Scutaro, 37, batted .362 with an .859 OPS in 61 games for the Giants after arriving in a July 31 trade from the Colorado Rockies. He later helped lead the team to its second World Series title in three years, and was named MVP of the National League Championship Series.

— Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi