Looking at 4 mid-tier starters that the Cardinals' missed out on in free agency

These four starters were in the Cardinals price range, and have had varying levels of success

Los Angeles Angels v Texas Rangers
Los Angeles Angels v Texas Rangers | Sam Hodde/GettyImages
4 of 5

Noah Syndergaard

Syndergaard, once a part of the Mets rotation that was supposed to set records, has not pitched well since his peak in 2016-2018. The 6-foot-6 power righty will turn 30 this summer. He is the youngest of the mid-tier free agents from 2022-2023. Syndergaard missed the entire 2020 season and most of the 2021 season due to elbow injuries. He also experienced minor injuries in 2022, limiting him to 135 innings between the Angels and Phillies.

Syndergaard was once known for his power fastball and high strikeout rates, but he has struggled to regain his former success. For his career, Syndergaard has a 3.65 ERA, 109 ERA+, 9.0 K/9, 3.22 FIP, and 1.193 WHIP. While those numbers all appear to be strong and worthy of a high-dollar value contract, he has regressed heavily in the last three years due to his injury history.

In December, the Dodgers inked Syndergaard to a one-year, $13 million contract. Hoping to replicate their successes with players like Tyler Anderson and Andrew Heaney, the Dodgers planned on getting Syndergaard's velocity back up while maintaining his effective changeup. That hasn't exactly been the case thus far. Currently, he has a 7.16 ERA, 5.53 FIP, 1.446 WHIP, and is only striking out six batters every nine innings; these numbers are significantly lower than the Dodgers hoped to see.

Due to his poor performance this year, the Cardinals were wise to pass on Noah Syndergaard this past offseason. His contract is far too pricey, his injury history is concerning, and his performance thus far has been uninspiring. He has already seen IL stints twice this year with his most recent one due to a blister on his finger.