5 pitching options the St. Louis Cardinals should consider post-lockout

Jack Flaherty #22 of the St. Louis Cardinals pitches in the sixth inning against the Chicago Cubs at Busch Stadium on October 3, 2021 in St. Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Scott Kane/Getty Images)
Jack Flaherty #22 of the St. Louis Cardinals pitches in the sixth inning against the Chicago Cubs at Busch Stadium on October 3, 2021 in St. Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Scott Kane/Getty Images)
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SAN DIEGO, CA – SEPTEMBER 22: Scott Kazmir #16 of the San Francisco Giants pitches during the first inning of a baseball game against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park on September 22, 2021 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Denis Poroy/Getty Images)
SAN DIEGO, CA – SEPTEMBER 22: Scott Kazmir #16 of the San Francisco Giants pitches during the first inning of a baseball game against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park on September 22, 2021 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Denis Poroy/Getty Images)

Scott Kazmir

Scott Kazmir ended his short season with the San Francisco Giants hitting the disabled list with a hamstring issue. He’s now a free agent with a lot to prove as his last full season was 2016.

In 2021, he was 0-1 in 5 games and 11.1 innings pitched. The lefty who turns 38 soon has 13 seasons in the major leagues. He’s pitched in 303 games over that time, going 108-97 and pitching a total of 1,701  innings and 1,618 strikeouts.

During most of his career, Kazmir pitched several games per season throwing well over 130 innings in most cases, including 206 innings in 2007 where he went 13-9  in 34 games for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. Even in 2016, Kazmir pitched 136 innings in 26 games for the Los Angeles Dodgers, going 10-6.

Fans should not expect that level of performance from Kazmir going forward. Kazmir does want to pitch in 2022 and he will want to compete at a high level. He could easily fit in as a piggy-back opener or middle innings relief. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see him get some minor league time, or taxi-squad time, as well just to make sure his performance in 2021 was more of a fluke.

Kazmir will be an interesting name to see where he lands in 2022.

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