Cardinals Insider Rules Out Two Veteran Pitchers as Potential Fits

The Cardinals still want pitching, but these arms are unlikely.

Aug 9, 2025; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; A general view of Busch Stadium during the second inning of a game between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Chicago Cubs. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

The St. Louis Cardinals have a long road ahead this offseason. They’ve already gotten started by trading Sonny Gray to the Boston Red Sox and signing Dustin May to a one-year contract.

But even after signing May, the Cardinals are still looking into adding another veteran starter. They may be rebuilding, but they still want a little more certainty in their starting rotation.

There are still plenty of options out on the free agent market that could make sense for the Cardinals. However, there are a few starters that just aren’t realistic possibilities for St. Louis, and Derrick Goold named two of them in his weekly chat.

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Cardinals Insider Rules Out Two Potential Fits

Sep 20, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Zac Gallen (23) pitches against the Philadelphia Phillies during the third inning at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images | Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images

“The bidding for [Zac] Gallen is likely to surpass the Cardinals' plans for this winter. And the Cardinals signed May to be the upside bounce-back pitcher,” Goold wrote. “They need more of a known quantity than you could say Walker Buehler is at this point in his career.

Gallen was drafted by the Cardinals in 2016 and traded to the Miami Marlins for Marcell Ozuna the following year. He struggled in 2025, going 13-15 with a 4.83 ERA.

Buehler would come at a cheaper price, but he went 10-7 with a 4.93 ERA with the Boston Red Sox and Philadelphia Phillies this past year.

Still, the Cardinals have options they could look at. Chris Bassitt and Tyler Mahle are both free agents, or they could look at reunions with former Cardinals Jose Quintana or Jordan Montgomery.

But it seems that Buehler and Gallen are not likely at this point. Buehler does bring a lot of postseason experience, but with the Cardinals rebuilding and not shooting for the playoffs, that move wouldn’t make much sense.

Chaim Bloom has been busy so far this winter, and he has made some very important moves that are helping the Cardinals get started with their rebuild.

It will certainly be interesting to see where Bloom lands in his search for pitching this offseason. The Cardinals know they need another rotation arm, but it’s safe to say that both Gallen and Buehler can be ruled out as potential options.

Time will tell what comes next for the Cardinals this offseason. They’ll be an intriguing team to watch over the next few months.

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