The Cardinals need pitching this winter, but they also need to stay true to the shape of their rebuild. That means the front office is unlikely to swing for something dramatic. Still, Chaim Bloom has room to work before the lockout arrives, and there’s a path here that fits the moment: add a starter with upside, keep the commitment short, and see what happens.
That’s the lane Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch pointed to when he identified Casey Mize as a possible target.
"Right-hander Casey Mize is arguably the next best short-term upside play," Goold wrote.
He also noted that "Shane Bieber and two pitchers with past Cardinals ties, Jack Flaherty and Zac Gallen, are other starters looking for rebound opportunities."
Mize makes sense as the kind of bet St. Louis could consider after the way it handled Dustin May last offseason.
The former No. 1 overall pick in the 2018 Major League Baseball Draft by the Detroit Tigers has not fully matched that billing, and Tommy John surgery wiped out his 2023 season. Before a trade sent him to the San Diego Padres, he was 4-6 with a 2.70 ERA in 16 starts for Detroit.
The 29-year-old didn’t find the same success in San Diego, but Busch Stadium could offer a friendlier setting for a pitcher trying to get back on track. If the Cardinals believe there’s more to unlock and that he can show it in 2027, Mize could be the kind of arm that costs only a one-year deal and doesn’t require St. Louis to stretch its budget.
That kind of move would also give the Cardinals flexibility. Mize is old enough to help a young rotation now, but he could also become a trade-deadline piece if he pitches well, potentially bringing back prospects.
St. Louis has depth in the pitching mix, but another established arm would still make sense. Mize brings enough upside to fit that idea without forcing the Cardinals into a bigger, riskier move.
The club is not ready to act like a contender yet, and that reality likely won’t change for a few years. For now, a move along the lines of what they did with May looks like a practical way to keep building toward what comes next.
In Other News...
Cardinals Face A Delicate Pitching Balance This Offseason
The Cardinals are heading into the offseason with a fairly clear pitching checklist, even if the exact names remain fluid. The rotation has a promising young core, but St. Louis is still expected to shop for a starter with upside while also looking at one or two veteran relievers to steady the bullpen. It is the kind of balancing act front offices face when they want to improve now without boxing out the younger arms they hope will matter down the line.
There is also a specific opening to address after the departure of Dustin May, which adds a little urgency to the search. Free agency has already produced a familiar list of possibilities for the Cardinals, including Kris Bubic, Casey Mize, Shota Imanaga and Jack Flaherty, but no moves have been made yet. For now, the plan seems to be as much about fit and timing as it is about talent, with St. Louis trying to strengthen the staff without clogging the path for its next wave of pitchers. [Read more 🡒]
Cardinals Could Have A Rare Shot At A Superstar Bat
A financial cloud hanging over San Diego has opened the door to an unusual kind of Cardinals speculation, and Fernando Tatis Jr. sits at the center of it. The Padres star has already built a resume that makes him one of the sports most recognizable bats, and his long-term contract only adds to the complexity of any possible move. For St. Louis, the idea is less about rumor for rumors sake and more about whether a rare superstar opportunity could ever align with a club that has been searching for a jolt.
There are plenty of hurdles before anything like that becomes real, starting with Tatis no-trade protection and the sheer difficulty of prying a player of his stature loose. Still, the new collective bargaining agreement and the Cardinals roster situation make this one worth keeping on the radar, even if it remains only a possibility for now. For a team that could use impact talent, the mere fact that this conversation exists says plenty about how unusual the market might become if San Diegos uncertainty deepens. [Read more 🡒]
Cardinals Interest In J.P. Crawford Sparks A Bigger Third Base Debate
The Cardinals search for help at third base has opened the door to an interesting possibility in J.P. Crawford, whose bat against right-handed pitching makes him a plausible platoon fit. On paper, he would give St. Louis a more established option at a spot where the club has been weighing short-term stability against long-term development.
But any move in that direction would come with a familiar cost: fewer reps for Blaze Jordan and Thomas Saggese, two young players the organization seems intent on evaluating. Crawford could make the lineup look cleaner in the moment, yet the Cardinals may decide the bigger priority is keeping those at-bats available for the younger group rather than narrowing the path with another veteran stopgap. [Read more 🡒]