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8 free agent signings that would be fun to see the Cardinals make
The St. Louis Cardinals are likely a completed team for 2024. Let's just have a little fun with these free-agent signings.
The relievers have been added. The rotation has been completed. The lineup has become unclogged. The St. Louis Cardinals, for all intents and purposes, are a finished product for 2024. We can still want some more free agents, though.
While some may dream of signing Jordan Montgomery or Blake Snell, and others long for Jorge Soler or J.D. Martinez, there are plenty of free agents who would just be fun additions to the team. They may not make sense; they may not have a role, but there are certain players who would be great to see in Cardinal Red.
My goal today is to identify eight free agents, who as unrealistic (and unnecessary) as they may be, would be great additions to the Cardinals in 2024. Some of these guys would improve the clubhouse. Others would be quirky legacy players. A couple of them would actually help the team perform in 2024 and beyond. Regardless of their role, each of these players would be just plain fun to see play for St. Louis next year.
Last year wasn't fun by the end of the season for players, reporters, management, or fans. Each of these proposed free agents would provide some levity and entertainment for the St. Louis faithful. As has been the goal all offseason, improving the on-field product while revamping the clubhouse is paramount; John Mozeliak has done that thus far. These players would simply add to the clubhouse culture or fan experience.
I have divided these free agents into three groups: position players, pitchers, and former Cardinals. Each player can contribute one way or another, although some would have a greater impact on the team as a whole. Roster manipulation would get tricky, and fans would be furious if some of these players were signed (see: X, formerly known as Twitter, after St. Louis signed Matt Carpenter). However, at this point in the offseason, it doesn't hurt one bit to extend minor league contracts with Spring Training invites to as many players as possible.