Cardinals One Of Two Clubs Reportedly 'Showing Early Interest' In Star Pitcher

The St. Louis Cardinals were expected to be early movers in free agency this offseason and seem to be leaning into the speculation.

It was reported at the beginning of free agency that the Cardinals would be aggresive early due to the desperate need to bolster the rotation. That process already is in motion but St. Louis is not the only rapid-working organization.

"Sources: (Atlanta) Braves and Cardinals among teams showing early interest in free agent right-handed pitcher Aaron Nola," MLB Network's Jon Morosi reported Monday.

Nola posted a 4.46 ERA with a 202-to-45 strikeout-to-walk ratio, .240 batting average against and 1.15 WHIP in 193 2/3 innings last season.

While that statline might not be highly encouraging, his full résumé has a little more to be excited about. The 30-year-old has three top-ten National League Cy Young finishes since 2018 and has made 32 starts in all three years post-shortened season.

Nola would give the Cardinals a solid floor for their rotation and very high upside. The right-hander is as durable as anyone in the game, has plenty of postseason experience over the last two years and the potential to receive Cy Young votes in St. Louis.

The Braves will be involved in the sweepstakes accoring the multiple reports -- among others -- but the Cardinals appear to be the most aggresive suitor since the GM Meetings kicked off last week.

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Published Nov 13, 2023

SCOTT NEVILLE

Scott Neville covers the St. Louis Cardinals for FanNation's "Inside The Cardinals" on Sports Illustrated. Before starting "Inside The Cardinals", Neville attended Merrimack College, where he earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Communication and Media with a minor in Marketing. Neville spent all four years with Merrimack's radio station WMCK, where he grew as a radio/podcast host and producer. His propensity for being in front of a microphone eventually expanded to film, where he produced multiple short films alongside his then-roommate and current co-worker Stephen Mottram. On a journey that began as a way to receive easy credits via film classes, he received a call from "It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia" star Charlie Day. Day advised him to make a feature-length film, which he completed his senior year. While writing the film, Neville completed an internship for United Way as part of their NFL Partnership Program. Neville ran the blog for a team of interns and hosted an internet show called "United Way's NFL Partnership Series" where he interviewed NFL alumni. After college Neville wrote for SB Nation's "Over The Monster," a Red Sox sister site of the flagship brand. His work would eventually lead him to a job as a content producer with NESN, where he would cover all sports. After developing as a writer with the top regional network in the world, he was given the opportunity to join FanNation and the Sports Illustrated Media Group as the publisher of "Inside The Red Sox." After a few months as the top Major League Baseball site in the program, Neville sought expansion and pitched "Inside The Cardinals," one of the newest additions to FanNation and the Sports Illustrated Media Group. The successful launch and quick rise of "Inside The Cardinals" led to Neville joining the Baseball Essential ownership group, a national baseball site under SIMG. Follow him on Twitter: @ScottNeville46 Email: nevilles@merrimack.edu

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