Dodgers Hurler Elects Free Agency; Cardinals Could Pursue Reliever To Bolster Bullpen
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The St. Louis Cardinals spent the whole offseason attempting to revamp the pitching staff after their first last-place finish in the National League Central since 1990.
Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak largely accomplished his goal, adding three new starting pitchers and a pair of high-leverage arms.
The expectation is that St. Louis has all the pieces in-house to build their 26-man roster, but could they be open to one more external addition? A player with a strong track record recently became available.
"Left-handed pitcher Justin Wilson, who impressed scouts this spring, opts out of his (Los Angeles) Dodgers’ minor league contract and becomes a free agent. He’ll be on someone’s Opening-Day roster," USA Today's Bob Nightengale reported Tuesday.
Wilson could provide some added depth, stability and veteran leadership to a Cardinals bullpen that ranked No. 23 with a 4.47 ERA last season.
The 36-year-old has had a tough go of it in recent years, undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2022 only to suffer a lat injury that ended his 2023 season before it began.
Wilson has a career 3.41 ERA with a 25.9% strikeout rate, 10.7% walk rate, .225 batting average against and a 1.29 WHIP in 467 innings across 11 seasons.
It would be wise of the Cardinals to take a chance on Wilson to shore up the lower half of the bullpen for an affordable price.
Mozeliak is set on not expanding the budget in any meaningful way but could reasonably afford Wilson as a potential low-risk, high-reward option.
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