Cardinals Should Invest In Future By Signing Injured Ace To Two-Year Deal
Much has been made of the St. Louis Cardinals' need to bolster the pitching staff ahead of the 2024 season following an embarrassing last-place finish in the National League Central.
Cardinals president of baseball operation John Mozeliak acquired three new starters, as promised this offseason, doing so in an aggressive manner.
They should still keep their eyes peeled for a budget-friendly addition to the rotation such as James Paxton, Sean Manaea or Michael Lorenzen but should also look toward 2025 in one specific instance.
St. Louis has a rare opportunity to get a legitimate frontline starter in-house at a very reasonable price and should do everything in their power to make it happen.
Former Milwaukee Brewers right-hander Brandon Woodruff was non-tendered last month and could be a perfect candidate to get the Cardinals' rotation back to prominence in a few seasons.
Woodruff is expected to be out for the 2024 season following shoulder surgery but would be well worth the wait.
The 30-year-old hurler went 5-1 with a 2.28 ERA, 74-to-15 strikeout-to-walk ratio, .172 batting average against and a 0.82 WHIP in 67 innings across 11 starts prior to the injury in 2023.
The right-hander has a career 46-26 record with a 3.10 ERA, 28.9% strikeout rate, 6.5% walk rate, .214 batting average against and 1.05 WHIP in 130 appearances across seven seasons -- all of those metrics are elite.
Woodruff is expected to get a two-year deal this winter -- one season to rehab and then get back on the mound in 2025. That would allow St. Louis to spread out his contract across two seasons, making the ace much more affordable when he returns.
A rotation headed by Woodruff and Sonny Gray would be dangerous, especially when paired with a slew of young position players expected to be stars by that point.
The focus for Mozeliak should be on the upcoming season but this one move could set the team up for success two years down the line.
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