USA Today Sports
The St. Louis Cardinals have had a rough season, and that’s putting it mildly. With the 2023 season drawing to a close, it’s time to look towards next year. There is a good free agent class this coming off-season, and there are several pitchers the Cardinals should target.
Cy Young Award Winning Lefty
The former Cy Young award winner Blake Snell will undoubtedly be a pitcher of interest for the Cardinals. Snell was an All-Star and Cy Young award winner for the Tampa Bay Rays in 2018. This season, Snell has put up an impressive 2.61 ERA. He throws a four-seam fastball, changeup, slider, and a curveball. Snell’s fastball sits at 95 miles per hour, and the rest of his pitches work off of his fastball. He uses that pitch over 50% of the time to set up the other three. The lefty can be dominant as long as his fastball is working. He is without a doubt, one of the pitchers the Cardinals should target.
Veteran Righty Getting Better with Age
Sonny Gray is a veteran pitcher the Cardinals should target to solidify their starting rotation. Now 33 years old and in his 11th big league season, the righty is a three-time All-Star with a 3.53 ERA over 260 career appearances. Originally with the Oakland Athletics, he then pitched for the New York Yankees and the Cincinnati Reds before going to the Minnesota Twins. He has actually improved with age and is currently putting up another strong performance in his second season with the Twins. He has a 3.18 ERA in over 130 innings pitched so far. Understandably, Gray’s age will be a cause for concern for many. However, if the Cardinals can sign him to a two or three year contract, it could be an excellent match.
Innings Eating Righty
Lucas Giolito may not be the most dominant pitcher out there, but one thing he can do is take the mound every fifth day. The righty is the kind of pitcher that may not be flashy but will give the team a chance to win more often than not. Since 2018, he has proven to be a solid innings eater, pitching over 160 innings each season except for the pandemic-shortened season of 2020. Also, from 2019 through 2021, he posted sub four ERA’s. Giolito had a rough year in 2022 but has rebounded in 2023 to be an effective starter once again.
A Chance to Acquire Phillies Ace
Aaron Nola is a proven innings eater with number one starter upside. Since 2018, he has surpassed 200 innings in three different seasons. He is a true workhorse in this day and age. The veteran righty has had a down year due to a concerning increase in homerun rate. However, he is a proven top of the rotation starter. He has put up a career ERA of 3.70 with over 1,500 strikeouts in 1,373 innings pitched and counting. Undoubtedly, adding him to the rotation would have a positive impact.
Dodgers Starter Hitting Market at an Early Age
Julio Urias is probably the most talented starter hitting the market that’s not named Shohei Ohtani. It may seem like Urias has been around for a long time, but he is still only 27 years old. He comes with some injury concerns, but the upside is true ace material. Urias has a career ERA of 3.03 and a WHIP of 1.10. Additionally, he showed the baseball world what he was truly capable of in 2022, posting a 2.16 ERA and a WHIP of 0.96 over 31 starts and 175 innings pitched. The young hurler finished third in the Cy Young voting as well. Urias is at the top of the list of pitchers the Cardinals should target. He has ace upside and is still young.
No Ohtani, Montgomery or Flaherty?
The players mentioned above weren’t included for several reasons. First, signing Ohtani just isn’t going to happen. Anyone that follows the Cardinals knows there is no way they will fork out a half billion dollars to anyone, even Ohtani. That’s just not how they operate. As far as the former Cardinals free agents go, the chance to sign them is very unlikely. It is extremely rare for players to return to a team that traded them away. Furthermore, Flaherty had his differences with the Cardinals organization and is probably looking for a fresh start. Then there is Montgomery. He showed interest in an extension with the team prior to the start of the season, but nothing materialized. The Cardinals never should have let him get away, and it’s highly unlikely he’ll return.
Big Moves Needed in Off-Season
One thing is for certain, the Cardinals have a lot of work ahead of them this coming off-season. Their rotation is a mess, and the bullpen isn’t much better. They will need to address these needs through both free agency and the trade market. Whether Mozeliak can be trusted to make the right moves is highly questionable, considering his repeated failures in free agency and his rocky trade history. Unfortunately for Cardinals fans, they will just have to cross their fingers and hope for the best.
