8 offseason targets for Chaim Bloom to shore up the Cardinals rotation

Steven Matz

One final reunion to consider on this list, and admittedly, there are plenty of other names the Cardinals could consider in free agency or through trades. But if the Cardinals want a depth starter who can fill multiple roles for them, why not go get the one who just successfully did that for you this year?

Matz was mostly a starter for the Cardinals during the first three seasons of his four-year deal with the club, and entered the 2025 season fighting for a rotation spot. Matz actually had a really strong camp, but the emergence of Matthew Liberatore relegated Matz to a swingman role, one in which he excelled.

In 55 innings with the Cardinals this year, Matz posted a 3.44 ERA, 3.15 xERA, and 2.92 FIP in 30 relief appearances and two starts. Matz went multiple innings in many of his relief outings, would pitch in high leverage at other times, and make some spot starts here or there. For Boston, to whom Matz was traded at the deadline, he appeared in 21 games, all out of the bullpen, to the tune of a 2.08 ERA.

Matz has struggled to stay healthy for years leading up to the 2025 season, so that would be a concern with bringing him back to the Cardinals for depth, but again, they know him well, and he's a good clubhouse presence who has been willing to adapt to whatever role he is in. Not all veterans are able to do that and excel, so that is a trait worth valuing when looking for depth.

While all eight of these names could be targeted by Bloom this offseason, we'll likely gain more clarity on what those targets could look like when the offseason begins for all 30 MLB teams. How the Cardinals handle potentially moving contracts like Nolan Arenado, Sonny Gray, and Willson Contreras, along with deals involving any of their young position players, could dramatically shift their ability to play in free agency and what they are looking for. This should be an exciting offsesaon, one I am certainly eager to see begin so we can observe how Chaim Bloom wants to shape this roster.