Earlier this week, Tom Ackerman spoke with John Mozeliak on his podcast “Sports on a Sunday morning.” In that interview, Mozeliak talked about his plans for the rest of the offseason.
Heading into the winter, Mozeliak had a tall task ahead of him, that being to add three starting pitchers. That task has been completed, though the quality of some of those pitchers is questionable.
But Mozeliak also commented on the availability of certain starting pitchers via trade and said that he isn’t completely ruling out the addition of one more starter.
Obviously, with three starters already signed, that additional starter will likely come via trade. An important thing to note as well is that this interview took place before the Tyler Glasnow trade. But Glasnow revealed yesterday on Foul Territory that the Cardinals were one of the teams that was showing interest in him.
This is encouraging news, and it shows that Mozeliak may not be done adding starters. As much as I want the Cardinals to get another ace-level pitcher, I’m not currently holding my breath, but Glasnow’s comments in addition to those of Mozeliak are encouraging.
So, in that case, the Cardinals have several options. Dylan Cease and Shane Bieber are still available via trade. The Cardinals would be smart to give the White Sox or Guardians a call.
Of course, a deal for one of those guys will cost a lot, and I’m a little worried that the Cardinals won’t be willing to part with certain players that would be required to get a deal done. I’m talking Nolan Gorman, Brendan Donovan, and maybe even Tommy Edman.
Fortunately, those aren’t the Cardinals only options. Both the Mariners and Marlins have a surplus of starting pitchers, as well as a need for some offense. While the Tyler O’Neill trade helps clear out the logjam in the outfield, there is still more work to be done.
I could see someone like Alec Burleson or Richie Palacios being dangled as trade bait. I think it might be wiser to put Dylan Carlson on the block, but it all depends on what teams want.
The Cardinals did have dialogue with the Mariners at the deadline about controllable rotation arms, according to Jon Morosi. The most likely options if the Cardinals are to deal with Seattle are Bryce Miller and Bryan Woo, as I don’t see Seattle wanting to give up Logan Gilbert. One of those two could slide right into the current rotation and give the Cardinals a chance to turn Steven Matz into a swingman.
A trade with the Marlins would do the same. They have options such as Jesus Luzardo, Eury Perez, Edward Cabrera, and Braxton Garrett. I don’t see the Marlins demanding too big of a haul for one of those guys. You still have to give in order to receive, but these pitchers would likely come at reasonable prices, especially compared to Cease or Bieber.
This is why I believe the Cardinals are probably most likely to have discussions with Seattle or Miami if they are indeed going to add a starting pitcher. They won’t get an ace from either of those teams, sadly. But they can still get a guy with upside that they can count on for innings. Miller and Woo are both pitchers swing-and-miss capability, and they would fit well in a veteran rotation.
My personal preference would be for them to go after Bieber or Cease, but I’m trying to be realistic here. I’m not sure I see that happening. Still, it doesn’t mean that the Cardinals can’t get a viable arm.
We’ll have to see what happens in the coming weeks. This has turned into a relatively boring offseason.
