Cardinals Insider Weighs In Possible Pursuit Of Ex-Cy Young Pitchers

The Cardinals will need pitching, but where will they get it, and from who?

Sep 24, 2025; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Max Scherzer (31) delivers a pitch against the Boston Red Sox in the first inning at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images | Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images

The St. Louis Cardinals are set to rebuild under Chaim Bloom, but that should not underscore the need to add some arms to their starting rotation.

St. Louis went 78-84 and missed the postseason for the third straight year in 2025. Towards the end of the season, the weakness that was their rotation was exploited.

Pitchers such as Andre Pallante, Miles Mikolas and Erick Fedde all performed poorly in 2025, and Fedde was ultimately designated for assignment. There isn't a lot of depth in the minor leagues either, but interestingly, in Derrick Goold's weekly Cardinals chat, a fan asked a question about the possibility of veteran additions such as Justin Verlander and St. Louis native Max Scherzer.

Insider Weighs In On Cards Potentially Adding Ex-Cy Young Winners

Sep 22, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Justin Verlander (35) delivers a pitch against the St. Louis Cardinals during the third inning at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images | D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images

Goold didn't completely shoot down the idea, but cautioned fans to temper their expectations.

"One, not both. But imagine the situation they'd be signing into and how different that is than what either of them have sought before."

Perhaps one of the former Cy Young winners could be of use to St. Louis, but Goold pushed back on the idea that both of them would sign with the Cardinals this offseason.

Verlander enjoyed the better 2025 season, going 4-11 but posting a respectable 3.85 ERA in 29 starts with the San Francisco Giants. Scherzer on the other hand went 5-5 with a 5.19 ERA and was limited to just 17 starts due to nagging injuries.

Of the two, Scherzer is probably the most likely to land in St. Louis, given his ties to the city. However, as Goold noted, the Cardinals are rebuilding, and both starters would most likely prefer to pitch for a contending team in 2026, which the Cardinals are not.

Perhaps Scherzer may feel a desire to come back home and finish his career for the team he grew up cheering for. The three-time Cy Young is a graduate of the University of Missouri and was originally drafted by the Cardinals, but it's more likely he'll want to pitch somewhere else.

The same can be said for Verlander, who has pitched for contending teams his whole career. However, it isn't too much of a stretch to assume that St. Louis might decide to target one of them in free agency, so offseason rumors are something fans should keep an eye on.

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