The one way the Cardinals can sign Tarik Skubal this offseason

The St. Louis Cardinals seem to be playing with a little more life in the month of August after a rough July sank them below .500 and forced them to sell at the trade deadline. They have won four consecutive series and are still just three games back in the Wild Card race. At the same time, if the Cardinals were to make the postseason, it's clear that they do not have the pitching necessary to make a deep run.

They have a lot of pitching within the system, but it's going to take time for it be ready for the big leagues. The Cardinals have played better than expected this year, so that could potentially move their rebuild along quicker, and if they believe they are ready to contend in 2027, lockout permitting, they could spend on pitching.

Now, it is highly unlikely the Cardinals actually go out and sign Tarik Skubal. He's going to cost a lot of money. The Dodgers have all the financial resources in the world and will likely be the favorites to sign him. But humor me for a minute, my fellow Cardinals fans. If you really think about it, while it's unlikely, there is one way this can actually work.

The Cardinals could sign Tarik Skubal if he looks at a short-term deal

Let's get the obvious out of the way. Chaim Bloom is not going to sign Skubal to megadeal of seven years or more. That's not how the Cardinals operated under John Mozeliak, and it's not about to be the way they operate under Bloom, who rarely has signed free agent players to long-term deals.

So, how can the Cardinals sign the two-time American League Cy Young winner? It's not straightforward. It's not simple. But it's also not completely impossible.

Again, Bloom isn't going to give Skubal six or seven years on a contract. But, let's take a look at some of the recent contracts high-value players have signed in recent years. For pitching, the one that stands out to me is Framber Valdez. It took until February for him to sign, but the Tigers ultimately got him at a good price and for a good length of contract.

It was a three-year, $115 million deal, and it includes an opt-out after the 2027 season. Valdez bet on himself by taking a short deal in hopes of potentially being in line for a longer deal a few years down the road.

Another clear example of this is the contract Alex Bregman signed with the Red Sox just before the 2025 season. That was for three years and $120 million. The main difference here is that it included two opt-out clauses, one after each of the first two years. Bregman had a strong season with Boston and ultimately opted out, which allowed him to sign a long-term deal with the Cubs.

This is possible for Skubal, and if the Cardinals feel that they're ahead of schedule entering 2027, then it's something that I think is worth considering. Assuming the lockout happens, players might want to sign early before the CBA expires, and I could see Skubal potentially wanting to do that.

So, a short-term deal is possible for the Cy Young winner. In terms of money though, the Cardinals would have to get creative. They would have to really up the ante on the number of dollars spent. This wouldn't be akin to the three-year, $75 million contract they gave Sonny Gray. It's going to take a lot more than that.

But if the market runs dry or if Skubal is forced to accept a short-term deal, then there might be a little wiggle room for the Cardinals to do this.

They will still have to deal with the big-market teams, who have the financial edge. There's also a chance that Skubal doesn't view the Cardinals as enough of a contender to sign there. But barring that, there could at least be a chance for St. Louis to get in on the fun, provided that they offer a short-term deal and really up the ante on the dollars.

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