St. Louis should play the long game with a star pitcher
Following an ugly last-place finish in the National League Central, the St. Louis Cardinals have made much of the need to bolster their pitching staff ahead of the 2024 season.
As promised this offseason, Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak aggressively acquired three new starters.
They should continue to hunt for a cost-effective addition to the rotation, such as James Paxton, Sean Manaea, or Michael Lorenzen, but they should also look ahead to 2025 in one case.
St. Louis has a unique opportunity to bring in a legitimate frontline starter at a low cost and should do all in their ability to make that happen.
Former Milwaukee Brewers right-hander Brandon Woodruff was non-tendered last month and could be the ideal candidate to return the Cardinals’ rotation to prominence in a few seasons.
Woodruff is scheduled to miss the 2024 season due to shoulder surgery, but the wait will be well worth it.
Prior to his injury in 2023, the 30-year-old pitcher went 5-1 with a 2.28 ERA, 74-to-15 strikeout-to-walk ratio,.172 batting average against, and a 0.82 WHIP in 67 innings over 11 starts.
In 130 appearances over seven seasons, the right-hander had a 46-26 record with a 3.10 ERA, 28.9% strikeout rate, 6.5% walk rate,.214 batting average against, and 1.05 WHIP.
Woodruff is anticipated to sign a two-year contract this winter, with one season to rehab before returning to the mound in 2025. St. Louis would be able to spread his deal over two seasons, making the ace considerably more cheap when he returns.
A rotation led by Woodruff and Sonny Gray would be deadly, especially if they were coupled with a bunch of talented position players who were supposed to be stars by that point.
Mozeliak’s priority should be the upcoming season, but this one move might set the squad up for success two years from now.
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