5 players the Cardinals need to avoid at all costs in free agency

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John Mozeliak and the St. Louis Cardinals have promised an offseason where they will make improvements to get the team back to their winning ways after the organization's worst season in decades. The Cardinals were 71-91, occupying last place in the NL Central for much of 2023.

Mozeliak has said the priority this season will be "pitching, pitching, pitching," emphasizing this with assurances the team would look to get at least three pitchers via trade or free agency. The team has Miles Mikolas and Stephen Matz returning in the Spring. They could be joined by Matthew Liberatore, Dakota Hudson, and Drew Rom.

The organization has several arms that could debut in 2024 with Tekoah Roby, Gordon Graceffo, Mike McGreevy, Adam Kloffenstein, and Cooper Hjerpe. These players could be extended relief options if necessary, but Mozeliak did note the rotation would not necessarily be the standard five-man group.

The club still has other needs, including the bullpen, and a veteran outfielder with a power bat being helpful for the team that hopes to be back in contention in 2024 and beyond.

While there are a handful of free agent pitchers the Cardinals are already linked with, such as Sonny Gray, Blake Snell, and Aaron Nola, there are some free agent pitchers the Cardinals need to avoid at all costs if they hope to return to their championship form in 2024.

Let's discuss who those players the Cardinals should avoid.

Lance Lynn is a player the Cardinals must avoid at all costs during free agency

Lynn was drafted by the Cardinals in 2008. After six seasons with the Cardinals, the Cardinals declined to bring him back, leaving him to move on. Most recently, he's been with the Chicago White Sox and was traded to the Dodgers at the deadline.

Lynn seems like an ideal find on the free agent market. He can go multiple innings, and he throws strikes. As Cardinals fans can remember, Lynn likes to do his own thing. And if you know the Cardinals, that's no longer the Cardinals' way.

Lynn doesn't rely primarily on the fastball anymore. Lynn does have a repertoire of seven pitches now including the fastball, a cutter, a sinker, a curveball, change-up. a slider and a sweeper. He does have a 28.7 percent whiff rate.

But Lynn gave up eight home runs in his last five starts with the Dodgers. This includes four he gave up in one inning to the Diamondbacks in his NLDS start. By the time things got important, Lynn appeared gassed and unable to do what made him a find, which was throwing strikes.

The Cardinals have had this and no longer want that type of pitcher going forward.

Frankie Montas is a player the Cardinals must avoid at all costs during free agency

Remember when the hot rumor of the trade deadline in 2022 was the Cardinals were in hot pursuit of Montas? I'm glad that didn't happen!

Since joining the Yankees, Montas has pitched in nine games with a record of 2-3 with a 6.15 ERA. He's pitched 41 innings and has 28 earned runs, including six home runs. He does have 34 strikeouts. Shoulder surgery before the 2023 season did keep him out of the Yankees rotation.

The Yankees are also in need of pitching this offseason. They could look to resign the once promising arm and use him as a chip in the trade market. The Yankees could also allow Montas to move on and get a fresh start elsewhere.

While this offseason will likely be used to recover and win over a team wanting to take a gamble, Montas could be just what some teams need this offseason.

The Cardinals need a healthy, proven arm to get them through innings with strikeouts. Montas doesn't appear to be that guy right now, and the Cardinals aren't in a position to gamble and hope for the best. That hasn't worked so well for the Cardinals recently.

Julio Urias is a player the Cardinals must avoid at all costs during free agency

It's sad that such a talented pitcher probably won't see another game in Major League Baseball.

Urias was placed on paid administrative leave from MLB after a September 3 arrest involving an altercation in Los Angeles. While a punishment hasn't been handed down, Urias is a two-time offender of the league's joint domestic violence policy. Urias's punishment from MLB could include suspension for multiple seasons or from playing in the United States ever again.

Prior to September, Urias was an intriguing option. In 21 games for the Dodgers, Urias was 11-8 with a 4.60 ERA over 117.1 innings. He struck out 117 batters in 2023, as well.

While the Cardinals need a power arm, they don't need someone in legal trouble.

Mike Lorenzen is a player the Cardinals must avoid at all costs during free agency

Lorenzen had an excellent start to his time with the Phillies after the trade deadline. In his first start against the Marlins on August 3, Lorenzen gave up six hits over eight innings. He struck out five batters. And then, on Aug. 9, Lorenzen threw a complete game no-hitter against the Nationals.

That's quite the good impression!

After the no-hitter, the Phillies seemed to hold back on their use of Lorenzen. He was moved to a longer relief role in the final weeks of the season and into the playoffs. The change from Detroit to Philadelphia obviously helped Lorenzen. tremendously. But, he doesn't seem like the long-term, innings-eating, strike-thrower that the Cardinals need.

Suppose they were to take a gamble at him for long relief. It could be great. But, the Cardinals doing this would go against what the team has been promising since the trade deadline. That is to get top-tier starting pitching. Lorenzen doesn't seem to be a long-term solution in that boat.

Cardinals fans are already on edge about the team and the promises made for this offseason. A move for Lorenzen would tip those fans off the edge. That's not something the Cardinals need as they look to improve dramatically over 2023.

Trevor Bauer is a player the Cardinals must avoid at all costs during free agency

If you've spent any time on social media, there is a segment of Cardinals fans who are passionate about the Cardinals signing this man. That would be the worst idea the Cardinals have ever had, including not getting any pitchers last offseason. Yes, signing Bauer would be worse than that.

While he has a horrible reputation amongst his colleagues in the clubhouse, this isn't the main reason signing Bauer would be a bad idea.

No. It's that it's been two and a half years since he played in the MLB. He had been on paid administrative leave from the Dodgers in June 2021. He didn't pitch again in 2021. He was suspended and did not pitch during the 2022 season. After the suspension ended, he was released by the Dodgers in January 2023. Teams could have signed him in free agency. They did not, though. He signed with the Yokohama Bay Stars of the Japan Central League. He also played for the team's Japan Eastern League.

In his 24 games with the Bay Stars, he was 11-4 and had two complete games. That's pretty good. He had 160 strikeouts over 156.1 innings. Again, that's pretty good. But there were definite cultural and clubhouse issues.

The Cardinals will be a much younger team in 2024. They will have several young, impressionable pitchers. They are looking to add at least three pitchers via free agency. The team needs good men. Good leaders. They are good guys who will set a proper example. This has always been a trait amongst the Cardinals.

On the other hand, Bauer has a mind of his own and a personality to match. It's also fair to mention he's been accused of some terrible things, including sexual assault. What team would want someone accused of that on their roster?

The Cardinals have had a few flawed characters over the years, with few exceptions. In a season where the team is looking to improve from where they were in 2023, signing Bauer would be a step in the wrong direction for the team. It would send a terrible message that the organization doesn't care about the caliber of people they bring into the organization. It's an easy guarantee that is not an image the Cardinals want to put out to fans.

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