When the Cardinals start mapping out their winter, the rotation should be one of the first places they look for help. The group has come a long way from where it was a year ago, but there’s still a clear case for adding another experienced arm near the top.
St. Louis entered 2025 with a rotation that posted a 4.67 staff ERA, good for 25th in baseball.
With only a few days left in the season, that number has improved to 4.10 and ranks 11th. That’s real progress.
Kyle Leahy, Michael McGreevy and Andre Pallante should all be part of the mix next year, and Quinn Mathews should be in the conversation too. Even so, this is still a young group, and the Cardinals have more young pitching on the way in the minors.
That’s why another veteran starter matters.
The name that stands out is Zac Gallen.
Gallen, 31, brings eight years of big league experience and a resume that includes an All-Star nod and a 3.82 career ERA across 197 appearances. He’s set to be one of the more interesting starters available in free agency, even after a rough year.
This season has been the toughest of his career, with a 6.12 ERA in 21 appearances. He was extended the qualifying offer after 2025, turned it down, and eventually returned to Arizona in mid-February, just as spring training was getting underway.
There’s also a reason to believe a player like that can rebound. The source material points to plenty of cases where pitchers who signed late struggled the following year, including Jordan Montgomery, who had the worst season of his career with the Diamondbacks after signing late before 2024.
The idea here is simple: Gallen has been good for most of his career, with seven solid seasons and one bad one. That makes him the kind of pitcher worth betting on.
A one-year prove-it deal with an option could make sense, much like the Cardinals’ approach with Dustin May. In that case, the move worked, with May pitching well enough to later be traded for two good prospects.
Gallen would give St. Louis a veteran presence it needs, raise the ceiling of the rotation, and do it without requiring a massive financial commitment. If the Cardinals want to make a swing as soon as free agency opens, he should be the first name on the list.
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