The St. Louis Cardinals are in need of three starting pitchers following the conclusion of the 2023 season. This season was the Cards worst since 1990, as they finished 71-91 and in last place in the NL Central.
Needless to say, the offseason is going to be crucial for the Redbirds as they try to avoid another season like this. There will be a bevy of starters available on the free agent market for the Cards to choose from. According to Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, they are already showing interest in Sonny Gray and Aaron Nola.
However, it's very likely that at least one of the starters they add will have to come via a trade. Options on the trade market are a little more scarce, but that doesn't mean that there aren't starters available.
In fact, there are some very good starting pitchers that could be had if the Cardinals are willing to meet the price. Granted, it will be a hefty price to pay, but the Cardinals are going to have to step out of their comfort zone if they are to improve their roster.
4 Cardinals offseason trade targets for John Mozeliak
Dylan Cease
The Chicago White Sox are a team that had a dreadful season, not unlike the Cardinals. They finished 61-101 this season and had the third-worst record in the American League. It's always possible that they could entertain some offers for right-hander Dylan Cease.
Cease had a bad season in 2023, going 7-9 with a 4.58 ERA in 33 starts and 177 innings. However, he was second in the Cy Young race for the American League last year, as he posted an ERA of 2.20, second only to Justin Verlander's 1.84 mark.
The 27-year-old is also a strikeout machine. He fanned 214 batters this season and 227 last year. The Cardinals are in desperate need of swing-and-miss pitching. For the past several years, they have relied on a pitch-to-contact approach, which backfired on them in 2023.
It's going to be hard for the Cardinals to convince the White Sox to move Cease, and they will more than likely have to throw in a name such as Nolan Gorman, Brendan Donovan, Lars Nootbaar, or even Tommy Edman.
But Cease would be a tremendous addition to the Cardinals rotation if they decide to dive into the trade market.
Braxton Garrett
The Cardinals and Miami Marlins have been trading partners in the past. The last deal they made didn't turn out so well for the Cardinals, as they surrendered Sandy Alcantara and Zac Gallen to get Marcell Ozuna.
However, the Marlins have plenty of pitching on their roster, and they also may be in need of some offensive help in the offseason. Braxton Garrett might be an interesting fit.
St. Louis could stand to clear out their outfield logjam. They have players such as Juan Yepez, Dylan Carlson, Alec Burleson, and Tyler O'Neill who are essentially blocked because of the logjam.
Garrett had a solid season with the Marlins in 2023, going 9-7 in 31 starts with a 3.66 ERA. He struck out 156 batters and averaged almost nine punchouts per nine innings during the regular season. Garrett may not be the ace that the Cards are looking for, but they can still find that ace in free agency. Garrett would be a solid middle-of-the-rotation piece for St. Louis.
Perhaps another trade could be in the works between the Cards and the Fish, one that could help both sides. Garrett will start Game 2 of the Wild Card Series against the Phillies on Wednesday.
Bryce Miller
Prior to the trade deadline, Jon Morosi of MLB Network reported that the Cardinals were willing to listen to offers for their young position players if they could receive controllable starting pitching.
They did not get a deal done for a controllable starter, but Morosi mentioned that they had spoken with the Mariners, who had Bryce Miller and Bryan Woo. We'll discuss Miller first.
Miller, 25, averaged 8.2 strikeouts per nine innings. He is also obviously still very young, which means he has a ton of upside. In 25 starts with the Mariners, Miller went 8-7 with a 4.32 ERA. The ERA might be a bit of a red flag, but he does bring strikeout stuff to a rotation that desperately needs it.
He has the potential to be a No. 2 or No. 3 starter, and if he reaches that potential, a trade for him would make sense. St. Louis will certainly still have to pay a hefty price in order to make this deal work, but fans can only hope they are re-evaluating things after a dreadful 2023 season which saw them record their first 90-loss season since 1990.
Bryan Woo
Now we'll discuss Woo and what he could bring to the table. He didn't get as much experience in the Major Leagues as Miller did, but he remains an intriguing option.
Woo has high upside as a 23-year-old starter who has a high strikeout rate. In 18 starts this season, he went 4-5 and posted a 4.21 ERA. He also averaged 9.5 punchouts and just 3.2 walks per nine innings.
Woo's strikeout numbers are certainly impressive, and adding him would bring some much-needed upside to a depleted St. Louis rotation. If not, he could still add to the depth within the Cardinals system, which was also quite depleted until they acquired Tekoah Roby, Sem Robberse, Adam Kloffenstein, and Drew Rom at the trade deadline.
More depth can't hurt, and some youth in the rotation would give St. Louis a very interesting look as they try to improve in 2024. The time has come for the Cardinals to be bold in both free agency and in trades. That is the only way they're going to truly improve and get themselves out of the mess that they created.
It all starts with the front office and ownership, who have a tall task ahead of them.