Cardinals Pushed To Sign $209 Million All-Star Ace In Free Agency

The St. Louis Cardinals are making a major move in the offseason. Current president of baseball operations John Mozeliak is stepping down and giving the role to Chaim Bloom.

Bloom has some big moves to make with this Cardinals roster, but he's stepping in with a mostly clean slate. With that in mind, there's a chance he dives into free agency head first with intentions of landing one or two superstar caliber players.

Cliff Williams of Redbird Rants recently suggested the Cardinals should pursue Houston Astros pitcher Framber Valdez when he lands in free agency at the end of the year. Spotrac projects Valdez to sign a six-year, $209 million deal in free agency.

Framber Valdez is the perfect free agent fit for the Cardinals

"While Sonny Gray has had his moments, the team has lacked a second and third dominant, durable, and reliable front-end starter who can consistently deliver," Williams wrote. "This is precisely why they should make a significant push to sign Framber Valdez this winter, even if they can sign another top-tier starter like Dylan Cease. Valdez, who is a free agent at the end of the 2025 season, is a high-volume lefty with a 3.08 ERA since 2021, and ranks among the top pitchers in innings pitched during that span.

"A one-two punch of Cease and Valdez, to go with Gray, would instantly transform the Cardinals' rotation from a weakness into a major strength. I know you are thinking this would drastically affect the team's payroll. However, all it really does is get them back to just above the levels of 2023 ~$176.6 million (ranked 15th) and 2024 - $175.2 million (ranked 11th)."

The Cardinals need to add an ace to their pitching staff. Sonny Gray is getting older and likely won't be under contract by the time the Cardinals are ready to contend for a World Series. Matthew Liberatore is a solid No. 3 starter on a World Series contender. Adding Valdez to the top of the rotation would be a franchise-altering move for St. Louis.

The only issue here is the money. If Valdez is potentially landing a deal worth north of $200 million, the Cardinals will have a hard time signing him. This is the range of contracts that teams like the San Francisco Giants, Toronto Blue Jays, and Boston Red Sox will be in, not the Cardinals.

It's more likely the Cardinals spread their money out across multiple star players, but if Bloom is willing to commit to an ace, Valdez is the perfect option.

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