6 low-risk, high-reward starting pitching targets for the Cardinals this offseason

Even as the St. Louis Cardinals prioritize revamping their player development system this next calendar year over putting the best possible product out on the field, there is still room for the club to make acquisitions for the Major League roster this offseason.

When teams rebuild, retool, reset, or whatever term you want to use for what the Cardinals are doing this offseason, they rarely stop making acquisitions altogether. Sure, the Cardinals are going to find playing time for their young bats and arms, but they'd be foolish to not consider upgrades to their roster, especially when they could end up being great values.

The Cardinals' number one goal in 2025 may not be making the playoffs, but they are not taking either. In fact, as things currently stand, I think they'd much rather be closer to making the playoffs while revamping their farm system and player development than to bottom out for a year record-wise. Even if they decide to cut a lot of payroll, it does not mean they cannot "add" to this roster while still accomplishing that goal.

Whether it is trying to strike gold on a signing that they can flip at next year's deadline or hoping to find a long-term piece for their roster via trade or free agency, the Cardinals would be wise to explore these options, especially when the "risk" associated with those potential moves is low.

Today I wanted to look specifically at some starting pitchers the Cardinals could target as low-risk, high-reward acquisitions this offseason. Even if the Cardinals decline options on Lance Lynn and Kyle Gibson this offseason, they could still be in the market to add a starter on one of these types of deals, especially if they end up moving on from Sonny Gray as well. The club has an abundance of lower-ceiling arms right now, so why not take a small risk on someone who could produce like a high-level starter?

For the candidates on this list, I tried to stay true to the title of "low-risk, potentially high-reward" acquisitions. For free agents, that means the Cardinals could potentially get those arms on short-term commitments and/or lower AAVs than what their peak talent would truly require. For trades, I tried to find guys who could realistically be moved by their clubs and don't have extremely high contracts or wouldn't still require significant capital to acquire.

Here are six starting pitchers who could be low-risk, high-reward targets for the Cardinals this offseason