Ideal starting rotation for the Cardinals in the 2024 season
By Curt Bishop
2. Aaron Nola
Nola will be one of the top free-agent pitchers available this winter. He had a less-than-stellar 2023 season, winning 12 games but posting a 4.46 ERA.
That is something that the Cardinals are going to want to be mindful of before potentially signing Nola. However, he put together some solid numbers in the postseason. The 30-year-old went 3-1 in four starts with a 2.35 ERA.
The Cardinals would benefit from having somebody who has a track record of pitching well in the postseason. They've been unable to advance far due to their lack of frontline starters.
But with Nola on their roster, they could increase their chances of making a deep October run once again, something they haven't done since reaching the NLCS in 2019.
The Cardinals have also not reached the World Series since 2013, much less won a title since 2011. Fans in St. Louis are craving October success, and the front office would be sending the right message to their fanbase by targeting somebody like Nola to fill the void in their starting rotation.
Nola has had much success against the Cardinals, including a gem in Game 2 of last year's Wild Card Series to send the Birds home for the winter.