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St. Louis Cardinals: Free Agent Pitchers Who Make Sense
Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports
The last time the St. Louis Cardinals signed a full-time free agent starting pitcher to an offseason contract, Brad Penny agreed to a one-year, $7.5 million contract for the 2010 campaign.
Perhaps the Penny signing (and ensuing disaster) launched the movement through which the St. Louis Cardinals have consistently pushed pitchers in their own farm system to take on larger roles, rather than acquiring veteran starting pitchers in the offseason. But considering some of the Chicago Cubs’ recent additions, it could be time for a different response from the Cardinals.
The rotation could already be affected if the Cardinals monitor the workload of young starters like Carlos Martinez and Michael Wacha. Add that to the fact that questions marks about the health of veterans Adam Wainwright and Jaime Garcia, it’s hard to predict success without a consistent anchor in the rotation.
Starting every fifth day comes with a considerably large load of responsibility, especially since the Cardinals missed out on several top-tier starters from this year’s free agent class. In order to maintain a similar level of consistency from last year, the Cardinals should shift focus to one of four plausible starting pitchers remaining on the market.
Next: Mike Leake
Sep 30, 2015; San Francisco, CA, USA; San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Mike Leake (13) throws a pitch against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the second inning at AT&T Park. Mandatory Credit: Ed Szczepanski-USA TODAY Sports
Mike Leake
Coming off of a career year in which he posted 11 victories and 2 complete games, Mike Leake has expressed desire to play out west throughout the offseason. Although the Los Angeles Dodgers have recently grown interested in Leake’s services, he offers several capabilities to be a St. Louis Cardinals commodity, highlighted by his pitch efficiency with Cincinnati and San Francisco.
Leake’s WHIP has decreased in each of his last four seasons and this improvement could carry over in a friendlier pitching environment like Busch Stadium. Having experience against the NL Central also builds a case for a divisional return, particularly with 11 wins against the Chicago Cubs and Pittsburgh Pirates over the last three seasons. Additionally, his .212 career batting average and six home runs gives Leake more upside than the typical free agent starting pitcher.
What the St. Louis Cardinals will most likely be looking at with Leake is the way he pitched when he was in San Francisco, which was not impressive as in nine starts there, Leake finished with a FIP of 4.83 in nine starts with the Giants. That does not impress me and won’t impress John Mozeliak either. At this point, Leake is a pretty pricey innings eater.
Given what we have as his reasonable contract, and his unimpressive numbers, I would be fairly surprised to see him come to St. Louis. But, if his contract were smaller and he were quite desperate, the Cardinals could listen.
Reasonable contract: 4 years, $55 million
Next: Scott Kazmir
Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
Scott Kazmir
A three-time All-Star, Scott Kazmir had a difficult time finding a job a few years ago, but now finds himself in a situation as one of the most coveted free agents remaining on the market. Kazmir has adapted to an American-league pitching style through his entire 11-year career, meaning he could thrive in a new change of scenery without frequently being exposed to designated hitters.
Kazmir’s two-seam fastball averaged just over 91 mph last year, assorted with a variety of pitches such as changeup, cutter and slider. He demonstrates similar composure to Jaime Garcia mechanically and could provide similar leadership to John Lackey. Last year marked the first time that Kazmir finished in the American League’s Top 5 for ERA (3.10), while his postseason experience on three teams also makes him a stronger middle-rotation candidate.
Steven McNeil talked about Kazmir being one of those under the radar “bargain signings”. Kazmir offers quite a bit with his
Reasonable contract: 2 years, $26 million
Next: Yovani Gallardo
Credit: Peter Llewellyn-USA TODAY Sports
Yovani Gallardo
In his nine-year career, Yovani Gallardo has compiled 1-11 record and 6.45 ERA against the St. Louis Cardinals as opposed to 101-64 and 3.45 ERA against everyone else. While this history is not the most accurate indicator of what he can accomplished, Gallardo makes sense if St. Louis is looking for a right-handed pitcher to eat up innings and connect the bridge between veterans and youngsters.
Gallardo has transitioned from a strikeout-reliant hurler to more of a ground ball inducer throughout his career, with much of his success primarily coming from his slider and four-seam fastball. His 49 quality starts over the last three years trail only Adam Wainwright in the Cardinals’ projected rotation, meaning Gallardo could provide durability at a bargain cost if St. Louis addresses his control inconsistencies.
Reasonable contract: 3 years, $40 million
Next: Mark Buehrle
Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Mark Buehrle
The 36 year-old Mark Buehrle has had ups and downs recently, hoping to rejuvenate his career after sitting out on Toronto’s postseason roster. The Cardinals could be a strong suitor for Buehrle’s services, as the St. Charles native has emphasized that he would ponder retirement unless he receives an opportunity with his hometown team.
Next: Cardinals and Carlos Gonzalez?
Buehrle could have a mutually impact the direction of his career as much as the direction of the team, as having a positive mindset to contribute could help on a St. Louis Cardinals’ roster that was characterized by a large youth movement and several injuries last year. After all, it’s hard to look past the athleticism and experience of a pitcher with 4 Gold Glove awards, 5 All-Star selections, 14 seasons of 200+ innings and a perfect game.
Reasonable contract: 1 year, $7 million