Ranking the 4 remaining International pitching options for the Cardinals

#3 - Shota Imanaga (NPB, Yokohama DeNA BayStars)

For much of the offseason, Shota Imanaga was viewed by many teams as a backup option for Yoshinobu Yamamoto. Now that Yamamoto has signed at such a high pricepoint, teams are likely bidding more aggressively for Imanaga than they would have otherwise. Although the Cardinals showed great interest in Yamamoto at the start of free agency, they should not show the same interest in Imanaga.

There are a few clear warning signs with Imanaga that make me want the Cardinals to stay away from him. First, his ERA is not that much better than the league average. At 2.80, which is around an ERA+ of 110 in an inferior league, I'm not too excited about what Imanaga will bring to the Major Leagues. Moreover, his very impressive 10.6 K/9 was a dramatic spike from his career trends, leading me to believe he over-performed in a contract year.

Many are excited about Imanaga's impressive fastball, but in NPB, a league where high velocity isn't as commonplace as MLB, he won't stand out as much. His fastball will certainly be playable, but not of the same caliber as Shohei Ohtani or Roki Sasaki. While Miles Mikolas signed for 2 years, $15.5 million after posting better numbers than Imanaga at age 29, Imanaga is projected to receive a contract north of $80 million at age 30. That's just too big a risk for the Cardinals to take on a middling pitcher who might've hit his ceiling last season. There are so many other starters St. Louis can target that are cheaper than Imanaga with more proven ability in Major League Baseball.

#2 - Yariel Rodriguez (NPB, did not play in 2023)

Yariel Rodriguez is one of the most interesting pitchers on the market this offseason simply because there's not that much known about his ability. He was an electric reliever in 2022, winning Central League Setup Pitcher of the Year after posting a 1.15 ERA through 54.2 innings across 56 relief appearances, but he wants to enter MLB as a starting pitcher. If Rodriguez was seeking a role as a setup man, he'd be at the top of this list, but it seems like he will only sign with a team that offers him a starting job.

Rodriguez's experience as a starting pitcher is extremely limited. He made two starts for Cuba in the 2023 World Baseball Classic and that's pretty much it. In his first start against the Netherlands, he allowed just one earned run across 4 innings pitched on 3 hits and 1 walk. He also allowed just one run in Cuba's victory over Australia but was shakier as he only went 3.1 innings and walked 5 batters. Control has always been a bit of a problem for Rodriguez, but they were more manageable in a relief role.

Like former Cardinals reliever Jordan Hicks, Rodriguez's biggest weapon is his 100+ mph fastball, and moving him into a starter role may deplete some of his powerful velocity. It's extremely uncertain how Rodriguez will fare as a starter in Major League Baseball. He faced two of the weaker teams in the World Baseball Classic in an extremely small sample size. Moreover, he sought MLB opportunities immediately following the tournament to no avail and did not pitch professionally at all in 2023.

As a high-leverage reliever, there's much more certainty with Rodriguez's performance, and there's no doubt in my mind that he would fit perfectly into the backend of the St. Louis bullpen. If the Cardinals could make a deal work as a relief pitcher, it would be a fantastic signing. But for now, Rodriguez remains unlikely as both a Cardinal and a reliever.

#1 - Woo-Suk Go (KBO, LG Twins)

Unlike NPB, talent from the KBO has mostly been under the radar this offseason. It's puzzling why the Giants gave such a large contract to Jung Hoo Lee, as almost all Korean bats struggle in their first few seasons in MLB, but perhaps the "Grandson of the Wind" will adjust to Major League pitching faster than most.

One name that has gone almost completely overlooked is Woo-Suk Go, Jung Hoo Lee's brother-in-law and thus the "Grandson-in-law of the Wind." Go has been one of the premier relievers in the KBO since his age-22 season in 2021. He recorded a 2.17 ERA in 2021 with 30 saves and a 1.48 ERA in 2022 with 42 saves. He battled some injuries this past season, recording a 3.68 ERA and 1.364 WHIP, but his strikeout rate has steadily increased from 10.6 per 9 innings in 2021 to 12.1 in 2023.

At just 24 years old, Go should bounce back to his career norms next season if healthy, so the Cardinals shouldn't worry too much about a weaker performance in 2023. With elite strikeout rates in a contact-focused environment in Korea, Go should maintain similar swing-and-miss stuff in America making him one of the highest-ceiling options for the Cardinals out of the bullpen. They've been linked to some of the top bullpen names such as Josh Hader, but it's unlikely they'll meet his asking price. Between Woo-Suk Go, Phil Maton, Jordan Hicks, and other mid-tier relief options, Go might be the cheapest while also boasting the highest upside.

It's no guarantee Go's talents will translate well to MLB, but at a cheap and short-term contract, it's absolutely worth the risk for the Cardinals. The Cardinals already struck gold with Kwang Hyun Kim out of the KBO in 2020 and 2021. Like Kim, Go could prove to be an effective high-leverage asset out of the bullpen for many years to come.