3 moves John Mozeliak must make to complete Cardinals pitching staff

The St. Louis Cardinals took a major step forward on Monday morning when they signed veteran right-hander Sonny Gray to a three-year, $75 million contract.

By signing Gray, the Cardinals now have a true ace to lead their rotation. However, they are far from through and still have plenty of work they need to do before they can be considered World Series contenders.

President of Baseball Operations John Mozeliak still has his hands full as the Winter Meetings approach. Pitching is what failed the Cardinals in 2023, and it should still be at the top of their list.

Here are three moves Mozeliak must make to complete the Cardinals pitching staff

1. Trade for Dylan Cease

The Cardinals have now added three starting pitchers to their rotation, which means they may in fact be done adding starters.

However, they should still be looking into adding another rotation arm. Trading for somebody like Dylan Cease would be a good move.

Cease is yet another starter who can be considered a top-of-the-rotation arm. Adding him would give St. Louis a World Series caliber rotation, something they have not had in several years.

The young right-hander is a strikeout machine, having fanned 214 batters during the regular season and averaged 10.9 punchouts per nine innings. He fits the mold of an ace after finishing second in the Cy Young race last season.

This year was somewhat of a letdown for the White Sox ace, who went 7-9 with a 4.58 ERA. However, he still possesses a ton of upside that could be beneficial to St. Louis if they decide to engage in trade talks with the White Sox.

It would take a significant haul. But St. Louis needs to make bold moves if they want to rebound from their most disappointing season since 2007.