Cardinals Rumors: Should St Louis pursue T.J. Zeuch?

The St Louis Cardinals need a pitcher or two, but don’t want to give up a big haul. Should they pursue T.J. Zeuch, who was just DFA’d by Toronto?

When it comes to the St. Louis Cardinals, they will be looking for starting pitching in all forms. Elite starters. Mid tier starters. Back end starters. Lottery tickets. Any pitcher with a pulse is probably on their radar.

So when the Toronto Blue Jays designated pitcher T.J. Zeuch for assignment, my ears perked up. There have not been any reports connecting the Cardinals to Zeuch, but if they are looking for a lottery ticket who has upside, they could do a lot worse.

After all, Zeuch is a former top prospect with the Blue Jays. They envisioned him becoming a top-of-the-rotation type starter. Instead, he posted a 4.59 ERA in three seasons, enough for the team’s front office to move on.

But there are scouts who believe that a change of scenery could help Zeuch reach that potential. He did not have a clear path to innings on the mound in Toronto and struggled as a result, striking out eight while walking nine batters in 15 innings this season. But he recently hit 97 mph and his pitches appeared more crisp, one scout said, who was surprised the Blue Jays moved on.

In St. Louis, Zeuch could pitch out of the back-end of the rotation or provide an innings eater out of the bullpen. It’s possible he could start off in the rotation and move to the bullpen when Jack Flaherty and/or Miles Mikolas return off the injured list.

But president of baseball operations John Mozeliak has made it clear that he wants pitching without having to part with his top prospects. In Zeuch, they would have to part with cash considerations and maybe a player to be named later, which is more than reasonable for a player with his upside. After all, what’s there to lose?