Cardinals Reportedly 'Want To Make An Aggressive Move Early' This Offseason

Will the St. Louis Cardinals strike first when free agency opens?

Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak has been open about his impending pursuit of three starting pitchers this offseason.

If St. Louis wants the top acquisition of the three to be a bona fide ace, there will be no time to wait around. Fortunately, the Cardinals reportedly plan on making calls right away.

"The Cardinals also want to make an aggressive move early in the market if possible," St. Louis Post-Dispatches Derrick Goold reported. "Multiple sources have identified Sonny Gray as a target with (Aaron) Nola as another pursuit."

The offseason will be long and consist of a whole lot more rumors than substantive news. If the Cardinals could go out and get a star under contract right away, that certainly would appease the minds of everyone with a rooting interest in St. Louis.

Gray is someone that the Cardinals should be able to pry away from the Minnesota Twins after the 33-year-old's strong campaign. The unheralded hurler posted a 2.79 ERA with a 183-to-55 strikeout-to-walk ratio, .226 batting average against and 1.15 WHIP in 184 innings across 32 starts this season. He also led Major League Baseball with a 2.83 FIP and 0.4 home runs allowed per nine innings.

Nola would also be appealing -- though he's less consistent and costs more. Gray will be a rare premier but still affordable arm due to his age.

Whether the first move is for one of the aforementioned frontline starters or someone else, the mindset of going out and making a move early is one that should encourage fans and media members alike. This is exactly what should be coming out of St. Louis at this juncture.

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