Could Cardinals Pursue Projected $10 Million 2-Time All-Star As ‘Bargain’ Move?

The St. Louis Cardinals are in a time of transition as an organization. Chaim Bloom has taken over baseball operations following a 78-84 campaign after the club missed the postseason for the third straight year.

As Bloom starts to put his mark on the squad moving forward, there could be several short-term deals made with players to supplement the roster while the overall restructuring takes place.

That could lead the Cardinals to not only ship out veterans like third baseman Nolan Arenado but also sign others who are coming off a disappointing season with hopes of a low-risk, high-reward situation.

Could that lead to Bloom’s front office pursuing a pitcher like Walker Buehler?

Walker Buehler Could Potentially Be A ‘Bargain’ Move For The Cardinals

Buehler comes with plenty of credentials. He’s a two-time World Series champion and a two-time All-Star who has placed in the top 10 of the National League Cy Young Award voting twice (2019 and 2021).

But he’s fallen on tough times recently. His 2022 campaign was limited to just 65 innings before undergoing Tommy John surgery and missing the 2023 season. He wasn’t quite himself yet in 2024 with the Los Angeles Dodgers, posting a 5.38 ERA in 75.1 innings.

That led Buehler to pack his bags for the Boston Red Sox after signing a $21.05 million deal last winter. His struggles continued in Beantown, where he posted a 5.45 ERA through 112.1 frames before getting released at the end of August. He caught on with the Philadelphia Phillies and pitched well, but it was only for 13.2 innings.

Now, the right-hander is back on the open market and looking for a new home. Viva El Birdos’ Curt Bishop thinks he’d fit in great with Cardinals pitching coach Dave Duncan on a one-year deal.

“Buehler fits the bill. He has had two bad regular seasons in a row. Last year, he salvaged it with a great postseason run and even closed out the World Series for the Dodgers. This year, he went 10-7 with a 4.93 ERA between the Red Sox and Phillies. Boston cut him loose, but he’s looked better with the Phillies,” Bishop wrote.

“He’s probably a guy that could be had on a relatively cheap one-year deal and could be given some sort of option. If Sonny Gray is going to be traded, then this would make sense.”

As he enters free agency for the second straight offseason, Buehler won’t command the same payday he got from Boston last winter. Spotrac projects his current market value at one year and $10 million.

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