STL Cardinals rumors: Yamamoto question, Carpenter reunion, bullpen upgrade

STL Cardinals rumors: Could former All-Star fit Cardinals bullpen needs?

While pitching, starting, or relief has been a primary need for the Cardinals this offseason, could a veteran bullpen arm be just what the Cardinals need? The Cardinals definitely need more than just one veteran arm. The possibility of getting a former All-Star looking to bounce back may prove too much for the Cardinals to not consider.

Collin McHugh, who spent last season with the Braves, is available through free agency and could be a piece to the Cardinals' pitching puzzle going into 2024. According to Patrick McAvoy of Inside the Cardinals, "McHugh had a down year in 2023 with a 4.30 ERA in 41 appearances but logged a 2.60 ERA in 58 outings with the Braves in 2022." McAvoy suggests McHugh has bounce-back potential.

The Cardinals' bullpen lacked veteran depth in the bullpen last season. Signing a player like McHugh could be huge for the Cardinals bullpen.

For his career, McHugh is 71-47 with an ERA of 3.72 over 346 games and 992.2 innings. He has one save but 127 starts. He's struck out 967 over that time.

McHugh's 2023 season was not typical and could be just the incentive he needs to approach teams, such as the Cardinals, to show what kind of pitcher he can be for a team needing bullpen help. McHugh looks intriguing, as the Cardinals are still actively looking for pitching help going into 2024.