Cardinals Rumors: 3 pros and cons of signing Carlos Rodon

The St. Louis Cardinals are reportedly the “mystery team” after Carlos Rodon, so what would be the pros and cons of such a signing?

Most of the St. Louis Cardinals fanbase expected the team to be rather quiet in free agency the rest of the off-season after signing catcher Willson Contreras to a 5-year, $87.5 million deal at the end of the Winter Meetings. The Cardinals have had a reported “budget ceiling” of $180-$185 million this off-season, but the club “could go over” if it was for the right player. The Cardinals currently sit at approximately $182 million in payroll for 2023, making another major signing unlikely.

And yet, there remains hope, as the “right player” may be emerging in the form of left-handed starting pitcher Carlos Rodon, as Jon Heyman reported that the Cardinals are believed to be the “mystery team” after Rodon.

First, as always, take reports like this with a grain of salt until it is being confirmed by other industry insiders. I know Heyman had a slip up recently with the Aaron Judge news, but he was one of the first people to report how serious the Cardinals were with Contreras, which ended up happening.

Second, just because the Cardinals are in on Rodon, does not mean they will get him. At least two other teams are talking with Rodon right now in the San Francisco Giants and New York Yankees, and both teams could outbid the Cardinals if they want to.

It is very telling though that the Cardinals would have any interest in spending significant money after bringing in Contreras. Aside from the reported interest in Rodon, John Mozeliak has not shot down the idea of spending more resources if they want to.

Of course Mozeliak is going to shoot down rumors on Twitter, even if they are true. But again, he indicates a willingness to spend, which very well could end up being Carlos Rodon.

Let’s look at three pros and three cons of a potential Rodon signing for the St. Louis Cardinals if they go down that route. There are some potential pros and cons that are not being talked about at the moment that could be very interesting, depending on which side you land on.