2024 free agent pitchers the St. Louis Cardinals could target

A lot of money is coming off the books for the Cardinals after the 2023 season, and they desperately need roster help. What areas and players can management target for improvement?

Cincinnati Reds v St Louis Cardinals
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Sonny Gray

Sonny Gray has been very consistent in his career. He sports a 3.52 ERA, a 119 ERA+, a 3.61 FIP, and a 1.216 WHIP. He strikes out just under nine batters per nine innings. He is currently in one of the best seasons of his career while pitching for the Minnesota Twins. Through 99.2 innings, he has a 2.89 ERA, 2.85 FIP, 149 ERA+, and has given up a total of 3 home runs in 18 starts.

He will be 34 for all of next year, and it's reasonable to assume he will garner a lot of attention from a variety of teams. Pitchers with a similar track record and age who have recently been free agents include Chris Bassitt, Nathan Eovaldi, and Jose Quintana. All three of these players signed for an AAV of around $20 million with a contract length of three years.

There will be fewer high-end starters on the market this upcoming season compared to last season, so expect these mid-range starters to earn more money than last year's mid-range starters. Gray's age is hurting the potential length of his contract in the end.

Contract Prediction: Three years, $69 million ($23 million AAV)