The St. Louis Cardinals were heavily criticized for their lack of quality pitching in 2023.
That, in the end, was the main reason they failed to make the postseason and finished as the worst team in the NL Central.
Any team that has Paul Goldschmidt just one year removed from an MVP-caliber season and Nolan Arenado still in his prime should make sure to either trade them or build around them.
It’s that simple.
Judging by their moves, the Cards are leaning toward the latter route.
They have signed Lance Lynn and Kyle Gibson in the last few hours to free-agent contracts.
Perhaps they are not the stars that Cardinals fans would have hoped for, but they represent steps in the right direction for an organization that needs lots of pitching.
They do bring something to the table: durability.
“The St. Louis Cardinals pick up 375.2 innings with veterans Lance Lynn and Kyle Gibson, who combined for a 28-20 record last season,” MLB insider Bob Nightengale tweeted.
The St. Louis Cardinals pick up 375.2 innings with veterans Lance Lynn and Kyle Gibson, who combined for a 28-20 record last season.
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) November 21, 2023
Now that they have secured some decent depth with Lynn and Gibson, it’s time for the Cards to focus on bringing in a top starter for the top of the rotation.
There are options aplenty: former Cardinal Jordan Montgomery, Blake Snell, Sonny Gray, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and even his countryman Shota Imanaga.
Lynn and Gibson are durable and offer decent ERA floors, but they are not the answer.
One of the aforementioned names would be, or at least would give St. Louis a good chance of competing in 2024.
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Cardinals Address A Clear Need With Tuesday Addition