It has been a season filled with disappointments for the St. Louis Cardinals. That includes on the mound, where the rotation has underperformed, entering Monday’s play ranked 25th among MLB’s 30 teams with minus-1..3 bWAR produced this season.
Knowing that Adam Wainwright will retire at the end of the season and not return to the St. Louis Cardinals next season, and with Jordan Montgomery and Jack Flaherty already part of the MLB trade deadline exodus, it’s clear that the St. Louis rotation will need to be rebuilt next season. We know that will be a priority for Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak, but now we know just how St. Louis may approach the offseason when it comes to the rotation.
St. Louis Cardinals rumors: Here is what John Mozeliak is looking for this offseason
Speaking to reporters before the Cardinals opened a series at home against the Oakland A’s, Mozeliak was very specific in what St. Louis would be trying to sign this offseason when it came to starting pitching.
Mozeliak tells media team will be shopping for three starters this off-season. That’s not all free agents, but that is the number for the shopping list.
— Derrick Goold (@dgoold) August 14, 2023
Prepare accordingly. #stlcards https://t.co/SCz14fxOdv
Those three pitchers will likely join Miles Mikolas and Steven Matz as part of the 2024 rotation. If that’s the case, the Cardinals could certainly be in the market for an ace or leader of the rotation to begin with. There are some possible aces who could be available next offseason, but are the Cardinals really in the running for Shohei Ohtani? It’s unlikely. What about pitchers like Julio Urias or Marcus Stroman? The possibilities certainly exist.
But getting just an ace won’t be enough for the Cardinals next season. The team also needs to get two other starters as well. Taking a look at the top Cardinals prospects, there are potential options like right-hander Tink Hence, the second-ranked prospect for St. Louis and someone who is projected by MLB.com to make his MLB debut in 2024.
Watching how the St. Louis Cardinals rebuild their rotation will be fascinating this offseason, and it’s clear that John Mozeliak is already planning his strategy.