White Sox Hurler Linked To Cardinals As Another Possible Rotation Upgrade
The St. Louis Cardinals already have added three new starting pitchers into the fold this offseason but that doesn't mean there can't be more on the way.
St. Louis has added Sonny Gray, Lance Lynn, and Kyle Gibson into the fold but could still use another arm. The Cardinals could opt to turn its focus toward the trade market but there are still some intriguing hurlers in free agency that could fit the club's budget. One of those starters who could make sense for St. Louis is former Chicago White Sox pitcher Mike Clevinger, according to The Athletic's Jim Bowden.
"The Cardinals have already accomplished their main offseason goal of revamping their rotation with the signings of right-handers Sonny Gray, Lance Lynn, and Kyle Gibson," Bowden said. "Gray received a three-year, $75 million deal, while Gibson and Lynn signed one-year deals for $12 million and $10 million, respectively. However, why stop there? It's now unlikely they sign (Yoshinobu Yamamoto), (Jordan Montgomery), or (Blake Snell) but why not sign one more depth pitcher who can provide innings?
"Clevinger went 9-9 with a 3.77 ERA over 24 starts (131 1/3 innings) this year for the White Sox. He allowed two runs or fewer in four of his last five starts of the season. There's no reason for St. Louis to stop stockpiling starting pitching after the major issues they had last year in that department."
The 32-year-old would be a very solid pickup for St. Louis. Clevinger logged a 3.77 ERA last season and has a career 3.45 ERA across seven big league seasons. He likely wouldn't cost much either and immediately could pencil in as the club's No. 2 or No. 3 starter. A move could make sense.
More MLB: Red Sox Pitcher Linked To Cardinals As Possible Offseason Trade Candidate
