Potential rotation option for the Cardinals taken off the board

The St. Louis Cardinals are in need of a back-end rotation option after allowing Kyle Gibson and Lance Lynn to test free agency, but one of their low-cost targets signed elsewhere.

According to Jeff Passan, right-handed starter Tomoyuki Sugano has signed a one-year deal with the Baltimore Orioles. The reported salary for the 35-year-old out of Japan is $13 million - the same price at which the Cardinals declined Gibson's option. Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post Dispatch added to the Passan tweet noting how Sugano was a potential fit for the 2025 Cardinal rotation.

As Goold notes, Sugano was a previous teammate of Miles Mikolas when they played for the Yomiuri Giants of Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball from 2015 until Mikolas' return to the majors after the 2017 season. Sugano has been a target for major league clubs in the past, and now, at age 35, he is ready to make the move.

Because of his age and professional experience, Sugano did not need to be posted by the Giants as he finished out his most recent four-year contract this season. He had been posted previously, coming off a season where he put up a 1.97 ERA at the age of 30. Neither side was able to come to terms on a move to the MLB, leading to Sugano signing the aforementioned deal.

This past season is the best he has posted since the 2020 season. After three consecutive seasons that saw Sugano put up an ERA over three, the 2024 campaign was a major bounce back for the veteran as he was named the NPB's Central League MVP for the third time. The 6'1 righty threw over 150 innings for the first time since 2018 and went 15-3 with a sparkling 1.67 ERA. Sugano has never been a strikeout pitcher but has shown incredible command and an ability to keep the ball in the ballpark, with .9 BB/9 and a .3 HR/9 that no doubt made him an attractive target for the Orioles.

In an offseason that has seen mediocre and unproven pitchers receiving greater than market-value contracts, the Cardinals may have to get creative with trades and free agents or rely on their minor-league depth to fill out the rotation. As names start coming off the board, it will be interesting to see if the team dives into the free-agent pool or makes current assets available for rotation help.