3 free agent starters the Cardinals should pursue this winter

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The trade deadline has officially passed. The Cardinals loaded up on pitching prospects to strengthen the farm system but were unable to add a controllable starting pitcher, which is something I was hoping they would do.

Instead, the work to overhaul the starting rotation is going to have to come in the offseason. The Cardinals will need to make trades and dive into the free-agent market. And for once, they'll need to pony up, which means getting rid of some key prospects and spending more money than they have in years past.

The best-starting pitchers will be on the free-agent market. Pitchers such as Aaron Nola, Blake Snell, and Eduardo Rodriguez will be available. Those are the higher-end arms the Cardinals are going to have to target. They also can look into lower-cost options as well.

For now, the Cardinals will have to ride out the rest of the season with Miles Mikolas, Steven Matz, Adam Wainwright, Dakota Hudson, and Matthew Liberatore. It's already a forgone conclusion at this point that the team's 15-year streak of winning seasons will be snapped and that they will miss the postseason for the first time since 2018.

But the Cardinals made it clear at the trade deadline that major changes were needed. If anything, this season should serve as a cautionary tale as to why it's so important to add starting pitching depth, and we can only hope that the front office has learned from this experience.

We will discuss three pitchers that the Cardinals should target when the offseason begins. We'll look at ace-level pitchers, and also discuss lower-cost options.

Aaron Nola

At least one of the starters the Cardinals will add needs to be an ace-level pitcher. The lack of an ace is what has cost them in recent years. I don't think they'll be able to add both Nola and Snell via free agency.

I know his stats aren't great this year. He's 9-7 with a 4.43 ERA in his 22 starts. But what is most enticing about Nola is his ability to strike hitters out. He has 139 strikeouts on the season and is currently averaging over nine strikeouts per nine innings pitched.

He also pitched a gem against the Cardinals in the Wild Card round last October. He pitched into the seventh inning for the Phillies and held the Cardinals scoreless.

Blake Snell

While I don't think the Cardinals will add both Nola and Snell, that doesn't the Cardinals shouldn't be looking into both of them.

Snell brings great postseason experience, including the 2020 World Series, and is a strikeout machine, averaging almost 12 per nine innings. John Mozeliak has to find a way to land one of the two aces on the market, and Snell would certainly fit the bill for St. Louis.

The left-hander and former Cy Young is 8-8 with a 2.50 ERA this season with the Padres. He also brings some competitive fire to the clubhouse, which would benefit the Cardinals greatly.

James Paxton

It's always possible that the Cardinals make a trade to find their ace. They could potentially look into Shane Bieber or Dylan Cease.

If they do that, then they can focus on lower-cost options in free agency. James Paxton is one of the lower-cost options available.

In what is likely his final year with the Red Sox, the veteran left-hander has enjoyed a bounceback campaign in 2023. He's 6-2 in his 13 starts with a 3.34 ERA and has recorded 80 strikeouts. He's even averaging over 10 per nine innings.

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Now, there is a slight risk with Paxton. He has dealt with more than his fair share of injuries over the years, which is a tad concerning. However, he's proven that when healthy, he can be a force. Perhaps the Cardinals could gamble on him and sign him to a one or two-year deal. Regardless, John Mozeliak is going to have his work cut out for him this winter.

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Aaron Nola

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