These 5 aces the Cardinals passed on could have helped the club in 2023

Wild Card Series - San Diego Padres v New York Mets - Game One
Wild Card Series - San Diego Padres v New York Mets - Game One / Jim McIsaac/GettyImages
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Zac Gallen

If it wasn't bad enough to let go of one ace in the Ozuna trade, 2022 saw Zac Gallen solidify himself as one of the best pitchers in baseball as well.

In 2020. Gallen finished 9th in Cy Young voting after posting a 2.75 ERA in 72 innings and after a down 2021, finished 5th in Cy Young voting after going 12-4 with a 2.54 ERA and 192 SO in 184 innings of work. Gallen had the 7th longest scoreless innings streak in the live ball era during the second half, not allowing a run for 44.1 innings straight.

It is clear that Gallen has the stuff and mentality to be the kind of ace that leads his club toward a World Series title. Gallen consistently goes up against some of the best teams in baseball in the NL West and rose to the occasion. At just 26 years old, Gallen has room to improve further and could be scary for a long time.

I'll leave you to dream for a moment about a rotation that features Alcantara, Gallen, Flaherty, Mikolas, and Wainwright...but on to the final ace the club missed out on.