Cardinals rumors: End of road for Tyler O'Neill, Aaron Nola interest, Rangers robbery
- Richie Palacios was a trade deadline steal
- Cardinals going after Aaron Nola this offseason
- Tyler O'Neill's time with St. Louis looks like it has met its end
By Josh Wilson
Cardinals expected to get after Aaron Nola in free agency
The St. Louis Cardinals need to retool their starting rotation this offseason, that much is clear. Jordan Montgomery and Jack Flaherty were both traded ahead of the deadline. Adam Wainwright is set to retire. That leaves the rotation with Miles Mikolas and Steven Matz. Matthew Liberatore started a slew of games this year, but his role is in question entirely, though a strong spring training could earn him a spot in the rotation.
That leaves at least two, but likely three spots in the starting rotation for the Cardinals to consider. They'll likely look to free agency for most of them, and Aaron Nola is one that the Cardinals appear willing to spend on, perhaps even confident enough in to overspend on.
Derrick Goold reports that the Cardinals are gearing up for a big push to sign Nola. Goold reports that the Cardinals know their push to sign him is likely going to place them in a bidding war for the QB.
Nola is entering his 10th year next season, all with Philly thus far. While he's made just one All-Star team, he's been a steady and reliable pitcher, exactly what the Cardinals need. It could be tough to sign him away from the Phillies after he's spent his entire career there, the last two campaigns featuring fun runs at the playoffs.