Inside The Cardinals

Former Blue Jays All-Star Could Solve Cardinals Rotation Hole

The St. Louis Cardinals should sign the former Toronto Blue Jays ace...
Patrick McAvoy|
Apr 16, 2025; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; A Toronto Blue Jays hat and glove in the dugout during a game against the Atlanta Braves at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images
Apr 16, 2025; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; A Toronto Blue Jays hat and glove in the dugout during a game against the Atlanta Braves at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images | John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images

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St. Louis CardinalsToronto Blue Jays

There have been two things abundantly clear about the St. Louis Cardinals this offseason: the organization is active in the trade market and is also looking to add pitching.

St. Louis president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom has discussed both of these points publicly already this offseason. The trade rumors have gotten most of the headlines this offseason and that will continue to be the case. There are a handful of players on the roster right now generating trade interest, led by Brendan Donovan.

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The Cardinals should sign Alek Manoah

Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Alek Manoah
May 27, 2024; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Alek Manoah (6) delivers a pitch against the Chicago White Sox during the first inning at Guaranteed Rate Field. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images | Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

On the pitching side, one player the Cardinals should arguably consider in the open market is former Toronto Blue Jays All-Star Alek Manoah. This is a guy who is just 27 years old and has a season under his belt in which he logged a 2.24 ERA in 31 starts (2022). But, each season since has been somewhat of a mess.

In 2023, he made just 19 starts and pitched to a 5.87 ERA. In 2024, he logged a 3.70 ERA in five starts for 2025. Manoah made 10 starts down in the minors in 2025 in the Blue Jays' organization and had a 3.96 ERA. Seven of those 10 appearances were in Triple-A, and he had a 2.97 ERA over that stretch.

While this is the case, he was designated for assignment by the Blue Jays in September and quickly landed with the Atlanta Braves as the regular season was winding down. He became a free agent last week, though, as Atlanta non-tendered him ahead of the Nov. 21 non-tender deadline.

Now, Manoah is a free agent and should be the exact type of player Bloom and the Cardinals target. He has serious upside. As a rookie in 2021, he had a 3.22 ERA in 20 starts for Toronto. Then, he looked like one of the best overall pitchers in baseball at 24 years old in his second season.

He would be a perfect lottery ticket for the Cardinals because he's young, has upside, and shouldn't be expensive after a roller coaster of a few years.

More MLB: Chaim Bloom Gives Insight On Cardinals’ Trade Market After GM Meetings

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Patrick McAvoy
PATRICK MCAVOY

Patrick McAvoy's experiences include local and national sports coverage at the New England Sports Network with a focus on baseball and basketball. Outside of journalism, Patrick also is pursuing an MBA at Brandeis University. After quickly rising as one of the most productive writers on the site, he expanded his reach to write for Baseball Essential, a national baseball site in Sports Illustrated Media Group. For all business/marketing inquiries regarding Inside The Cardinals, please reach out to Scott Neville: nevilles@merrimack.edu

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