Cardinals: Pros and cons of free agent targets for St. Louis

What are the pros and cons of these potential Cardinals free agent additions?

The St. Louis Cardinals should be active in both the trade market and free agency this off-season, looking to address their needs at catcher, another potential impact bat, and the pitching staff. There are so many directions they could go with any of those needs, and depending on how they address each one, via trade or free agency, will impact how they address the rest.

The Cardinals are really intriguing when it comes to free agency. Will they spend their available budget on a much of players who will provide marginal improvements to the club? Or will St. Louis look to spend big on one or two players, aiming for a bigger increase in value to their overall team?

While the Cardinals tend to not be big spenders in free agency, they have made aggressive offers in the past with the likes of David Price and Jason Heyward. In recent years, they’ve opted to making mid-tier free agent signings like Dexter Fowler, Steven Matz, and Brett Cecil, not really seeming to give them the boost they were hoping for.

There are big names and mid-tier names alike that St. Louis is being linked to, and each come with their own sets of pros and cons for the Cardinals. Price points, age, performance, and fit on the club all play a part of their decision making, and its important to know what you are getting into when acquiring a player. Let’s take a moment to evaluate the pros and cons of different rumored targets that St. Louis has this off-season.