Bounceback candidate is a perfect fit for the Cardinals' rotation

Chaim Bloom has been aggressive in targeting pitching during his first offseason as the St. Louis Cardinals' President of Baseball Operations, but there is still plenty of work to be done with the staff. The current rotation has quantity in terms of options, but the quality needs some support.

The Cardinals have expressed interest in starter Griffin Canning

My very first article when I joined Redbird Rants was explaining how Griffin Canning was a perfect choice to support last season's starting rotation. Unfortunately, John Mozeliak and Co. seemingly felt comfortable with the staff they had assembled heading into the season, and did not express the same interest I had in the starter. Bloom, though, is on the same wavelength as I am and Jon Heyman reports that the Cardinals have interest in bringing Canning in to support the unproven starting staff.

After being non-tendered by the Angels last offseason, Canning was scooped up by the New York Mets on a one-year, $4.25 deal. That low-risk contract paid off immediately for the Mets with the righty going 4-1 with a 2.61 ERA through April. He ran into a little wall over his next 10 starts, however, totaling just 45.1 innings in May and June. Even with those shortened starts that saw Canning's effectiveness wane, the 29-year-old had a 7-3 record and 3.77 ERA over his first 16 starts for the Mets.

Unfortunately, that is where Canning's season would come to an end. In the third inning of his June 26 start against the Braves, Canning tore his Achilles' tendon on a pitch. He underwent surgery and has been progressing in his rehab, with Heyman noting that the starter is hoping to be ready around Opening Day.

I followed up my previous offseason interest in Canning with another call for him to be signed again this offseason on an episode of Dealin' the Cards, and would entertain a two-year deal for the righty. MLB Trade Rumors noted that they would expect another one-year contract agreement for Canning, but with a 9-12 month timeline for Achilles' injuries, the Cardinals could provide themselves a cushion with an incentive-laden two-year contract or an agreement with options.

The St. Louis rotation currently has more than five options, with Dustin May, Matthew Liberatore, Michael McGreevy, Andre Pallante, and Kyle Leahy as players who seem likely to get the first crack at the starting five. Behind them, the Cardinals also have trade acquisitions Richard Fitts and Hunter Dobbins, who have each received major league starts, as well as prospects like Quinn Mathews, Tink Hence, and Brycen Mautz approaching the big leagues.

While the Cardinals have a starting five on paper, it never hurts to grab more arms, especially one who can stabilize an otherwise underwhelming group. If Canning is progressing through his rehab on a normal schedule, he could provide an easy fit into the rotation and, depending on the contract, could become a trade candidate or just another low-risk option that just did not pan out.