The Cardinals would be a perfect landing spot for this fallen first-rounder

The St. Louis Cardinals have scoured Asia for potential pitching reclamation projects over the past several seasons in search of the next Miles Mikolas, a pitcher who had limited success in the major leagues before playing in Japan and returning stateside to far more successful results. But the Cardinals have struggled to find players who can replicate Mikolas' results when plucking players from Asia to give them another shot at the majors. Aaron Brooks? Andrew Suarez? Drew VerHagen? None of those players did much for the Cardinals after returning from leagues overseas.

The Cardinals are speeding toward a rebuild, but they still need five pitchers in their starting rotation. With the only locked-in starters looking to be Matthew Liberatore and Michael McGreevy, as well as Sonny Gray if he isn't traded, it's easy to envision the team going out and signing a low-cost veteran free agent to fill one of the spots. With that in mind, the Cardinals could throw a dart in Asia at an intriguing player looking to return to the U.S.

Foster Griffin would fit snugly into the Cardinals' rotation for 2026.

A 30-year-old left-hander, Griffin comes with a higher ceiling than most other pitchers the Cardinals have taken from Asia. He was selected by the Kansas City Royals as the 28th overall pick in the 2014 draft but struggled as he ascended the ranks, owning a 5.13 ERA in Double-A in 2018 and a 5.23 ERA in Triple-A the following season. He tore his UCL in 2020 during his first major league appearance and was sent packing to the bullpen in 2022 despite respectable numbers in his limited time back in 2021.

With the Royals and later the Toronto Blue Jays, Griffin allowed six earned runs in eight career innings. But after three seasons with the Yomiuri Giants of Nippon Professional Baseball, where he had returned to the rotation, Griffin held an impressive 2.57 ERA and 318 strikeouts in 315.2 innings.

With the Cardinals likely to cut costs at every opportunity next season, they could see Griffin as an affordable option who might provide the team ample innings out of the rotation while their prospects continue to develop at the lower levels. Prior to heading to Japan, Griffin owned a fastball that peaked at 94 mph out the bullpen and a changeup that was his go-to pitch, possessing solid break and deception. He also threw a low-80s curveball.

Even if Griffin can't reach the heights of some other pitchers who have come back from Asia and performed well, such as Merrill Kelly and the pre-2025 version of Erick Fedde, the Cardinals of 2026 likely won't be searching for elite production. The reduced expectations could make St. Louis a desirable option for Griffin to see if he can translate his newfound success into a capable late-blooming major league career.