MLB Rumors: 3 free agents the St. Louis Cardinals should avoid at all costs
By Curt Bishop
The St. Louis Cardinals have their work cut out for them this winter. The 11-time World Series champions will be tasked with rebuilding a pitching staff that collapsed and led them to a 91-loss season, their worst season since 1990.
The starting rotation fell apart very quickly, which resulted in the bullpen being taxed. Injuries took place as well, and the Cardinals were unable to overcome them.
The starting rotation will be at the top of the Cardinals list this winter. Only Miles Mikolas and Steven Matz are under contract for 2024 and beyond, meaning that they'll need to fill three spots.
The Cards are fortunate that there are so many options available on the free agent market, so they'll have ample opportunity to address the pitching staff and its weaknesses. But as the postseason rolls on without the Cardinals, they appear to be preparing for a much different offseason than last year.
Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch noted that Aaron Nola and Sonny Gray are on the Cardinals radar already. However, not every free agent pitcher should be of interest to the Cardinals, and there are a few that they should try to avoid.