8 free agent signings that would be fun to see the Cardinals make

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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.

Here are eight currently available free agents who would be exciting to see at Busch Stadium in 2024.

Pitchers

Zack Greinke

Zack Greinke has been one of my favorite players in baseball for the last decade. He is quirky, he is a contender, and he is a good pitcher. Greinke's past few seasons don't quite measure up to his career statistics, but make no mistake, Zack Greinke is a first-ballot Hall of Fame pitcher.

He has racked up 77.5 bWAR, he has a Cy Young Award, he has finished in the top-10 of voting multiple times, he has a handful of Gold Gloves, a Silver Slugger award, and six All-Star appearances. When looking at his Baseball Reference page, you'll see a splattering of bold and italicized stats.

Last year, Greinke had a 2-15 record with a 5.06 ERA in 142.1 innings. He played for the abysmal Kansas City Royals, so feel free to disregard his 2023 record. Greinke doesn't strike out batters often anymore, he doesn't have the velocity or power curveball he once had, but what he does well is avoiding walks. His 3.9% walk rate last year placed him in the 98th percentile among pitchers.

A signing of Zack Greinke would not move the needle on the Cardinals' 2024 season. It wouldn't benefit the team much at all. However, Greinke on the Cardinals would allow us fans to see great interviews, hear weird stories, and see another Hall of Famer leave the sport with the Birds on the Bat.

Brandon Woodruff

A signing of Brandon Woodruff has more utility for the St. Louis Cardinals than a Zack Greinke signing. Woodruff was non-tendered a contract by the Milwaukee Brewers due to his shoulder surgery that will keep him on the Injured List through at least the summer and possibly all of 2024. The reason the Cardinals would sign Brandon Woodruff knowing he can't pitch this year is to lock him up for 2025.

Kyle Gibson and Lance Lynn have options on their contracts for 2025; it is likely the Cardinals exercise those, opening up two rotation spots next year. Brandon Woodruff has shown flashes of greatness throughout his seven-year career with Milwaukee. His best season, 2021, featured him finishing with a 2.56 ERA, 2.96 FIP, and 211 strikeouts in 179.1 innings. He has never pitched more than 179.1 innings, but with Sonny Gray and Miles Mikolas as "innings eaters", the Cardinals can take a flier on one starter in 2025 who has the potential to be an ace.

Position Players

Joey Votto

"But the Cardinals already have an aging first baseman!" Yes, they do. Why not have another who can bat left-handed and has been one of the best first basemen since 2007? Joey Votto's veteran presence, positive attitude, and experience would benefit the team. He can only play first base or DH anymore, so his defensive versatility is lessened.

Votto has excelled against right-handed pitchers in his career. He would provide balance to a lineup that has historically mashed lefties and struggled against righties. His plate approach has always been strong given his career 16.1% walk rate and 19% K rate. Votto doesn't chase bad pitches (18% chase rate), and he is still one of the best players at barreling baseballs (78th percentile in 2023).

Should the Cardinals sign Joey Votto, they'll also be able to tout the fact that they poached a player from a division rival in the Cincinnati Reds. From a logistic perspective, it doesn't make sense to sign Joey Votto. St. Louis has Alec Burleson and Matt Carpenter on the bench as left-handed batters who provide more positional flexibility than Votto would, but signing Joey Votto would still be fun.

Whit Merrifield

Whit Merrifield would be a more useful bench player than Joey Votto. The most useful aspect of a Merrifield signing would be his versatility on the defensive side of the ball. He has played in both corner outfield spots, second base, first base, and third base in his career. With Dylan Carlson, Matt Carpenter, Alec Burleson, and Ivan Herrera as the team's presumptive bench players, the Cardinals could use someone who can play these positions aptly.

Merrifield is also one of the fastest players in the league still. His sprint speed in 2023 placed him in the 85th percentile in baseball, and he stole twenty-six bases. That figure would have placed him second on the team last year behind only Tommy Edman. Whit can be a late-inning bench bat or pinch runner who can provide solid defense at multiple positions. Merrifield's presence in the clubhouse would also be a boost.

Cody Bellinger

Before the end of last season, I discussed the benefits of signing Cody Bellinger. He can play both center field and first base at a well above-average clip, and his bat, for as unpredictable as it may be, has the potential to be one of the best in baseball.

It's a bit of a gamble with which version of Cody Bellinger a team will get next year. It's possible he will return to his MVP form of 2019 and has a ridiculous power surge. Maybe he changed his swing again this offseason, leading to a season similar to his terrible 2021 season. Perhaps Bellinger maintains his bat-to-ball skills from last year while sacrificing walks.

Regardless of the offensive form of Cody Bellinger, a team can be assured that Bellinger's speed and defense will be superb. The Cardinals could place Bellinger in center field if Masyn Winn isn't ready, he can play first base if Goldschmidt needs a rest (and in 2025 and beyond if the Cardinals don't extend Goldschmidt). The roster would get clogged again, and Belly would cost a pretty penny, but his addition to the team in 2024 would be an immediate upgrade.

Former Cardinals

Kolten Wong

Kolten Wong was with the St. Louis Cardinals for the first eight of his eleven professional seasons. Wong was able to secure an extension during his arbitration years, and he was most known for his savvy defensive plays. His best offensive season with the Cardinals was in 2019 where he slashed .285/.361/.423 for an OPS+ of 108.

A reunion with Wonger would be more so for nostalgic reasons. Brendan Donovan and Nolan Gorman will have their hands full at second base, and Tommy Edman and Matt Carpenter can spell either or fill in due to injuries. Kolten Wong was admittedly one of my favorite players of the 2010s, so I would love to see him come back to the Cardinals for one more year. He is only thirty-three, so it's likely that he won't retire anytime soon.

Trevor Rosenthal

The fellas over on the Noot News Podcast and here on Redbird Rants have been clamoring for a Trevor Rosenthal signing for months now. Rosenthal, also thirty-three, is returning from Tommy John surgery last year. Rosenthal expects to be ready to play again at some point this summer.

In the past, Trevor Rosenthal has shown interest in returning to the place where he started his career. He hasn't logged major league innings since 2020 with the Padres, but in his prime, Rosenthal was known for high strikeout rates, a wicked fastball, and strong peripherals. The Cardinals could offer Trevor Rosenthal a minor league contract, thus making it a low-risk expenditure.

Brad Miller

Brad Miller is a journeyman. He started his career in Seattle, then spent some time in Tampa Bay, Milwaukee, Cleveland, and Philadelphia before spending one season in St. Louis. He returned to Philly in 2021, and he has spent the last two seasons playing for the Texas Rangers.

Brad Miller, for as brief as his stint was in St. Louis, was quite effective in the COVD-shortened 2020 season. Miller, thirty-four now, slashed .232/.357/.451 that year, but he was able to hit seven home runs in only forty-eight games. His exit velocities are typically near the top of percentile charts, and he has shown a propensity to draw walks and avoid strikeouts for his career.

Miller is exclusively a designated hitter at this point in his career, but he could theoretically fill in at third base, first base, or second base in an extreme pinch. In an even more extreme pinch, Brad Miller could even pitch. He has pitched two innings in his career, and he has given up three earned runs. Brad Miller likely won't play much, but he was an exciting player during his short tenure in St. Louis, and if I had to watch a position player pitch (aside from Masyn Winn), Miller would be my pick.

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