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

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.