One mid-tier free agent the Cardinals should target

The St. Louis Cardinals enter the 2025 offseason with so many questions. What does Chaim Bloom have in store as the new president of baseball operations? How much will he be allowed to spend on free agents? What kind of return will he get in the possible Nolan Arenado/Sonny Gray trades?

While all those are valid questions, there may be an even greater question that has yet to be answered for the upcoming season. How will the team address their starting rotation? While many hope St. Louis goes after marquee starters like Dylan Cease, Zac Gallen or Michael King, a mid-tier option may be the most realistic and cost-effective. One option from this price range is expected to be recent Blue Jays right-hander Chris Bassitt.

Reasons to sign Chris Bassitt

Bassitt has had a steady career through 11 big league seasons with four different teams. Although another aging starter (he’ll be 37 by Opening Day) may not be what fans are after, he provides value as a solid innings eater, especially considering St. Louis remains far away from contention at the moment. In his 11 seasons, Bassitt has been Mr. Consistent. He’s finished top 10 in Cy Young award voting three times and has posted an ERA above 4.00 in only two seasons. One of those, however, came in a year where he only pitched in six games.

In the last three seasons for Toronto, Bassitt has produced on the mound, with a 37-31 record, a 3.89 ERA, 541 ⅓ innings and 520 strikeouts. This also includes the 2023 season, when he led the American League with 16 wins. Additionally, his ground ball rate of 46.1% ranked in the 70th percentile and plays into the strengths of St. Louis’ defense. “C Bass” has also proven to be a valuable arm in the postseason throughout his career, especially this year. Bassitt was a shutdown reliever in the bullpen this postseason, after being converted to the role for the playoffs. He made seven appearances and allowed only three hits and one run in 8 ⅔ innings, giving him an ERA of 1.04. He also struck out 10 batters.

Consulting many different free agent predictions, the consensus on Bassitt’s price range seems to be $17 million-$19 million annually. Although that seems a bit high, it’s important to note that the Cardinals paid Miles Mikolas $17.6 million last season, money that will no longer be on the books for the 2026 season. With questions surrounding a possible Sonny Gray trade and the team considering moving Andre Pallante out of the rotation, Bassitt could be a good short-term option for St. Louis heading into the 2026 season.