Cardinals Should Kick The Tires On Former All-Star If Market Moves Slow

Don't rule it out just yet, Cardinals fans.

Apr 24, 2022; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; A view of St. Louis Cardinals players hats and gloves in the dugout during a game with the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: David Kohl-Imagn Images | David Kohl-Imagn Images

The calendar has flipped to 2026, and the St. Louis Cardinals still have some important work left to do before spring training kicks off in just over a month. Chaim Bloom has already made two trades with the Boston Red Sox, shipping out Willson Contreras and Sonny Gray.

They also have signed Dustin May, but they still want to add another starting pitcher to boost the rotation. Fans shouldn’t expect anything crazy, that is, unless the market continues to move slow for some of the top available starting pitchers.

Lucas Giolito is currently a free agent. If his market continues to stall, perhaps the Cardinals could look at bringing him on board for a short-term deal.

If you like our content, choose Sports Illustrated as a preferred source on Google.

Could Cardinals Dive In With Former All-Star If Market Moves Slow?

Sep 12, 2025; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Lucas Giolito (54) delivers a pitch during the second inning against the New York Yankees at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Paul Rutherford-Imagn Images | Paul Rutherford-Imagn Images

Giolito was finally healthy for most of the season with the Boston Red Sox in 2025. He made 26 starts and went 10-4 with a 3.41 ERA and struck out 121 batters over 145 innings pitched.

If he can remain healthy he can eat innings. Earlier this offseason, Cardinals insider Jeff Jones even stated that if the market moves slow for certain starters, which it has, he wouldn’t be surprised to see the Cardinals come away with a bigger addition than expected.

Perhaps Giolito could be the one they come away with. His market may be moving slow because teams might be hesitating due to his recent injury history. He missed all of 2024 with an elbow injury.

Perhaps a short-term deal with an option would make sense for St. Louis. Then they could have a proven starter at the top of their rotation with May that could also become a trade candidate at the deadline if they are out of contention.

St. Louis needs pitching, and there are a lot of ways they can go about adding it for this coming season. There’s time left in the offseason for moves to be made, and it should be interesting to see if Bloom can find a way to pull off a bigger signing than expected for the 2026 Cardinals.

Giolito fits what they are looking for in a proven veteran starter, and if signed, he could give the Cardinals a major boost on the pitching side.

More MLB: A Look Back At Joe Kelly’s Best Moments As A St. Louis Cardinal