MLB Rumors: Cardinals next ace, Cubs-Ohtani truth, Paul Skenes

MLB Rumors: St. Louis Cardinals wish list is unrealistic, per insider

The St. Louis Cardinals need pitching this offseason, that much is certain. The Cards, with only two regular starting pitchers currently under contract for next season in Miles Mikolas and Steven Matz, can rebuild the starting rotation from scratch should they choose. Adam Wainwright, a mainstay in St. Louis for years, is headed for retirement as well.

So, where will the Cardinals start? Per Bob Nightengale, John Mozeliak has a wish list of sorts, headlined by some of the best starting pitching talent on the open market. Julio Urias, Aaron Nola and Blake Snell are all scheduled to be free agents this winter, and it's fair to expect the Cards to place a call to their agents. The Cardinals are also known to have interest in Seattle Mariners pitcher Logan Gilbert via trade.

But are any of these moves realistic? FanSided MLB insider Robert Murray graded the likelihood of a deal involving each player. None of the four were graded higher than a 4.5, which doesn't bode well for Mozeliak. Blake Snell, currently having an excellent season with the San Diego Padres, was decidedly the most likely to sign with the Cardinals:

"Like Urias, Snell is represented by Scott Boras. Snell is also in the middle of a breakout season — a 2.65 ERA and 176 strikeouts in 136 innings — and is now challenging Urias as one of the best players on the market not named Ohtani. And that means he’s in line for a massive payday.

The Cardinals typically do not get into bidding wars, which makes pursuits of Urias and Snell challenging."

- FanSided MLB insider Robert Murray

If Murray is correct, then Cardinals fans should look elsewhere for a starting pitching upgrade this offseason. A cheaper option could make some sense.

MLB Rumors: What's the truth with the Cubs and Shohei Ohtani?

The Chicago Cubs were one of the finalists for Shohei Ohtani in 2017, when he ultimately chose the Los Angeles Angels. Ohtani is set to enter free agency again this winter, and the bidding war will be immense.

Ohtani could be the first $600 million man in baseball when all is said and done. For the Cubs, this represents an opportunity to improve on the fly. Chicago's World Series window is opening, ever so slowly. Does it make sense to write Ohtani a blank check?

While Chicago was one of Ohtani's preferred destination last time around, he ultimately chose the west coast for a reason. The Cubs can offer Ohtani as much money as he wants, but they can't change locations. They also aren't a smaller market, which Ohtani reportedly prefers. Patrick Mooney of The Athletic answered some questions on the Cubs chase of Ohtani in his latest mailbag, coming to the conclusion that a match remains unlikely.

""The most likely outcome here is the Cubs do their due diligence. They’re a big-market club playing in a desirable city with a fanbase that shows up and supports its team at one of the crown jewel ballparks. And now they’re a contender as well. They can attract any player if they’re willing to spend...But Ohtani has been clear with his preference to stay on the West Coast.""

- Patrick Mooney, The Athletic

The favorites for Ohtani are all on the west coast, such as the Dodgers, Angels, Padres, Giants and more. The New York Mets, who can perhaps offer Ohtani the most money, are in the running as well. Chicago is a longshot, but as Mooney suggests, expect them to shoot their shot.

MLB Rumors: Paul Skenes moves up the ranks for Pirates

When the Pittsburgh Pirates selected LSU ace Paul Skenes with the No. 1 selection in the 2023 MLB Draft, pundits expected him to move up the minor-league ranks quickly. After a quick stop in Bradenton, Skenes has been promoted to Double-A Altoona, where he will make his debut on Tuesday.

Tickets for Skenes' first Altoona Curve start are already sold out, with standing-room only seats available for just $10 if interested.

Skenes has thrown just four inning so far in his professional career, but he has yet to give up a run and has largely overpowered opposing hitters. While he is very unlikely to make his MLB debut this season, it's reasonable to expect a Skenes call-up sometime in 2024 barring any setbacks. That was part of the allure of Skenes as a prospect -- not only is he one of the best young pitchers we've seen at the collegiate level in quite some time, but he shouldn't need much fine-tuning, either.

As MLB Pipeline suggests, Pirates fans shouldn't be surprised by Skenes quick promotion:

""Physically imposing at 6-foot-6 and 235 pounds, Skenes is athletic with the body control to repeat a sound delivery and provide plenty of strikes. A classic No. 1 starter, he might have factored into the top three rounds as a position player, but that will be nothing more than a footnote for a frontline starter who should reach Pittsburgh in a hurry.""

- MLB Pipeline

Skenes success in the Steel City, or lack thereof, could be the defining factor of Ben Cherington's tenure as Pirates general manager. No pressure, Paul.