St. Louis Cardinals Rumors: Offseason reunion, Japanese ace link, what about Tink Hence?
- Cardinals free agent reunion makes sense
- STL scouting Japanese phenom
- Is it time for Tink Hence?
STL Cardinals Rumors: Michael Wacha return proposed
The Cardinals have high hopes for free agency when it comes to enticing top-tier pitching to St. Louis. Michael Wacha wouldn't be a name at the very top of the list, but he's looking like a very strong backup option.
The 31-year-old came up with the Cardinals a decade ago, even picking up an All-Star nod in 2015. In seven years in St. Louis, he had an ERA of 3.91 and a record of 59-39. However, at the tail end of his tenure, he was moved into the bullpen and ultimately left in free agency to join the Mets.
It certainly didn't go great with the Mets in 2020 and then the Rays in 2021. But he's recently regained some form. After posting an 11-2 record last year with the Red Sox, he's got his ERA down to 2.63 with a 10-2 record for the Padres. His WHIP is down at 1.073.
Wacha will be back on the free agent market after this season and a reunion should at least be explored. As Mark Powell of FanSided pointed out, Wacha's strikeout production "has been lacking in the St. Louis rotation for quite some time."