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So, would the Cardinals had been better off signing one of the 5 Free Agents?
Possibly. Possibly not.
Certainly, the Cardinals should be glad they didn't sign Trevor Story. He has hardly played since 2021. Carlos Correa's ankle and his $315 million contract sounds like a disaster ready to happen at any time. Javier Baez looks like he is past his prime.
Certainly, the Cardinals would have been better team with Fransico Lindor or Corey Seager. Both could've made this year's version of the Cardinal team better. However, with the pitching issues, how much better? You can't always hit your way out of bad pitching.
If the Cardinals had been willing to spend the money to sign anyone of these five for a top of the rotation pitcher, how much better off would've the Cardinals been today?
There are other opinions on this subject. Check out my fellow Redbird Rants contributor, Thomas Gauvain's earlier piece.
I'm writing today in hindsight, and it's 20-20. Nevertheless, the Cardinals elected not to make a move in 2022, much like they elected not to make a move in 2023 for rotation help.