6 starters the Cardinals need to target at the trade deadline or in the offseason

The Cardinals need to target high-end pitching at the deadline or in the offseason

You couldn't look at the St. Louis Cardinals before the season and feel great about their starting rotatoin. I personally thought it would be "good enough" to get them to the trade deadline, when significant additions could be added, but I by no means thought their rotation was a finished product.

I don't think anyone could have predicted how bad of a rotation it would be this year. Even if you hated the rotation going into the season, did you really think they'd be posting a 5.40 ERA to this point in the season? I doubt it.

To be honest, there weren't a lot of options this last offseason to improve the rotation early this season. Pretty much all of the top options that were available are either hurt or have been bad this year. But the years of mishandling their pitching internally and not signing or trading for the right guys had set them up for this failure.

The Cardinals have dug themselves quite a hole this year to climb out of. It's not impossible, especially with how much the rest of the National League Central has struggled in recent weeks, but it will not be easy. Honestly, it's probably not even possible without significant pitching upgrades.

I want to take a look at six pitchers the Cardinals should be targeting at this trade deadline and during free agency this offseason. While the Cardinals may have whiffed the last few offseasons and deadlines on adding top-end starting pitching, there are too many potential options available this time to make that same mistake again.

Shane Bieber

For years now, Shane Bieber has found himself the subject of trade rumors as the Guardians look to save some payroll and capitalize on this value. But as a team in contention in recent years, it has not been a move they strongly considered.

That all could be changing this season.

Cleveland is a very talented team, but they have started 2023 with a 17-20 record, 3.5 games back of the Minnesota Twins, who look to be the superior team this year. While they are still very much in the race right now, it looks like they'll need to win the division to make the playoffs, which will be a tall task with how the Twins look.

Baltimore, Boston, Toronto, New York, Texas, Houston, Seattle, and Los Angeles will all be fighting for the Wild Card this year, and that'll make it tough for Cleveland to claim one of those spots. With Bieber being a free agent after the 2024 season, he is becoming a very real trade candidate - one the Cardinals have to pursue.

Even if the Cardinals are long shots for the playoffs by the deadline, Bieber would still be a worthwhile move. His club control through next year means he's an upgrade for 2024 as well, and at age-27, the club can work on an extension with him over the offseason. So far in 2023, he is 3-1 with a 2.61 ERA, continuing to be one of the best pitchers in all of baseball.

The Cardinals could present the Guardians with a package of big-league talent and prospects that would help the Guardians be competitive moving forward while not just losing their valuable asset. Bieber easily becomes the Cardinals' ace and makes them a much better club.

Yoshinobu Yamamoto

If I had to pick a "favorite" pitcher for the Cardinals to pursue, it would easily be Yoshinobu Yamamoto.

Yamamoto is currently pitching for the Orix Buffaloes over in Japan and has a 1.60 ERA in 39.1 innings of work. Yamamoto does not turn 25 until August but has already thrown 836 professional innings in Japan, carrying an insane 1.83 career ERA.

Yamamoto may be posted this offseason and many scouts see him as a number one starter on day one. Yamamoto may get upwards of a $200 million deal though, on top of his posting fee. So why on earth would the Cardinals do that?

First, consider his youth. At 25 years old, a $200+ million dollar deal is not nearly as risky as giving one to a guy in his late 20s or early 30s. Signing Yamamoto over other older starters or trading for an ace allows the Cardinals to spend big money on an ace for the long term, but not have to give up any prospect or young bats in the process. That would be a really easy way to help transform the rotation for the future very quickly.

I highly recommend checking out some of Yamamoto's highlights here. He's going to be a star in 2024. The Cardinals should have plenty of money to spend this offseason if they really want him.

Aaron Nola

This past offseason, I wondered if Aaron Nola could potentially become available if the Phillies struggled this season. Well, they have to this point, partly due to Nola's own struggles this season.

Nola could end up being a trade deadline candidate, but more realistically, he's someone the Cardinals could and should be in on this offseason when he is a free agent.

Although Nola is only 3-2 with a 4.44 ERA in 48.2 innings. Last year, Nola finished forth in Cy Young voting and has consistently been one of the best starters in baseball. This season, his strikeout stuff is a bit down, but from 2019-2022, he's averaged 10.9 SO/9 innings.

Nola will be 30 in June, but in today's game, that still means he should have multiple high-level seasons ahead of him. He would make a great addition to the Cardinals' rotation, especially if they cannot outbid other clubs for the rights to Yamamoto or the next pitcher on this list.

Julio Urias

The Mexican-born Dodgers ace made his Major League Debut at age 19 and has been elite ever since. 2022 was Julio Urias' best season of his career, going 17-7 with a 2.16 ERA in 175 innings of work while finishing 3rd in Cy Young voting. His career 2.89 ERA should indicate to everyone that he is reliable.

Urias has only thrown 645 innings at the Major League level and will be just 27 years old when he hits free agency, meaning the wear and tear on his body is minimal compared to many starters the Cardinals could target. He's also a lefty, which seems to work well in Busch Stadium.

Urias will be very expensive though, likely eclipsing a $250 million deal this offseason. Even with Nola, Yamamoto, and Shohei Ohtani available, his market will be extremely competitive and will require the Cardinals to hand out a contract they typically don't. But once again, they have to get into these waters at this point.

Eduardo Rodriguez

I saved the least flashy starter for last, Eduardo Rodriguez would be an instant upgrade to the Cardinals' rotation and will surely be traded at this year's deadline.

In 8 starts this year, Rodriguez has posted a 1.57 ERA in 51.2 innings pitched. He's bounced back from two rough seasons in a row and will be pitching for another long-term contract all season.

Rodriguez has 3 years, $49 million left on his deal but has an opt-out after this season. If he continues his current performance, he could opt out and secure an even larger deal.

The Tigers won't hesitate to capitalize on his value right now if the Cardinals come calling. While there should be some regression coming from Rodriguez, he still represents a great stabilizing piece for the Cardinals rotation this year if they really want to try and win this division and see what happens in October.