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

Jesus Luzardo

The Miami Marlins are going through another one of those major front-office and roster turnovers that they seem to embrace every four to five years. Jesus Luzardo was a popular trade candidate last offseason and going into the 2024 campaign, but injuries and a major down year caused the Marlins to hold onto him.

With multiple years of control remaining, Luzardo won't be a likely trade candidate in my eyes, but I do see a world where the Cardinals and Marlins could swap "down" assets in hopes of reshuffling their rosters.

What if the Cardinals made a Nolan Gorman available for Luzardo? The Marlins, who desperately need offensive, buy low on a struggling back with big-time power by sending their big-time lefty who imploded last year in his own way. Luzardo has two fewer years of control as well, giving the Marlins someone who better fits their timeline in Gorman.

One year after making 32 starts and posting a 3.58 ERA and 28.1 K%, Luzardo's numbers slipped significantly, with his strikeout percentage dropping to just 21.2% and posting a 5.00 ERA in his 12 starts. His fastball velocity was just a tick lower overall, and while his whiff% remained high, his chase% and walk% all dropped significantly.

The only way I see a deal coming together for both sides is if Miami and St. Louis both see this as an opportunity to shuffle their teams a bit. While the Cardinals' offense also struggled in 2024, shaking up that group and changing out some of those names for high-upside pitching could be an interesting play.

Sandy Alcantara was someone I found to be an interesting potential target, but I find him to be even more awkward of a fit for this list. Alcantara just missed the entire 2024 season after having Tommy John surgery in October of 2023, and he is due $17.3 million in both 2025 and 2026. Considering how good he's been in the past, I'm not sure Miami would do a true salary dump here, and I'm also not confident a team would want to part with great assets for him either at the moment.