Blue Jays Starter Could Be Veteran Arm Cardinals Are Missing

The St. Louis Cardinals have done a good job so far this offseason adding much-needed pitching to the organization.

Hunter Dobbins and Richard Fitts are solid gets for the organization who could help as soon as Opening Day. The same can be said about Dustin May, who signed with the team in free agency. Still, Cardinals president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom noted that if the "right fit is there," the team would be open to adding more pitching with experience.

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In May, the Cardinals landed a young hurler with significant upside. There was a time when May looked like a future star and now will try to rebuild his value in St. Louis. The deal was smart because May is young enough to think that he could turn things around and if things work out, St. Louis could flip him at the 2026 trade deadline. For the Cardinals, it would make sense to add another hurler on a short-term deal to add depth and also another potential trade chip. One guy the club should consider is former All-Star Chris Bassitt.

The Cardinals should look to add

Nov 1, 2025; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Chris Bassitt (40) pitches against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the sixth inning during game seven of the 2025 MLB World Series at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images | John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images

He's 36 years old now and is coming off a season in which he logged a 3.96 ERA in 32 total appearances with the Toronto Blue Jays, including 31 starts. Bassitt has a career 3.64 ERA in 232 total big league appearances in 11 seasons.

Spotrac currently has his projected market value set at just over $31 million across two seasons. That's arguably a fair value and with free agency moving at a snail's pace, it also wouldn't be shocking if he eventually had to settle for an even smaller deal.

It's been an odd offseason with uncertainty around baseball beyond the 2026 season. For example, both Munetaka Murakami and Tatsuya Imai both were projected to land nine-figure deals at one point and both settled for significantly less than that.

If the price is right, Bassitt is the type of hurler that could help St. Louis in the short term and has been consistent enough in his career to assume he would be solid enough to then try to trade. That's why St. Louis should be looking.

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