The 2023 season is almost over, and soon the postseason will begin. The St. Louis Cardinals are one team that will not be playing past the final day of the regular season on October 1.
The biggest reason for this is due to their pitching, or lack thereof. It's been well documented that over the past several offseasons, the Cardinals have been relatively quiet. This was certainly the case last offseason. They were in dire need of pitching, but ultimately settled for just one move, which was the signing of Willson Contreras.
St. Louis Cardinals pursuing Eduardo Rodriguez has pros and cons
This offseason, that will not suffice. They will have three rotation spots to fill once Adam Wainwright officially retires. Jordan Montgomery and Jack Flaherty were shipped out at the trade deadline when it became clear that St. Louis would not be reaching the postseason, so they'll have work to do this winter if they want to contend again in 2024.
Only Miles Mikolas and Steven Matz are currently under contract past this season. Next year's Cardinals team is going to have to look completely different on the pitching side.
One pitcher who could be of interest to several teams, the Cardinals included is veteran left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez, who has enjoyed a strong season with the Detroit Tigers. He signed a five-year deal with Detroit after the 2021 season, which included an opt-out clause after the first two years.
This means he could be a free agent again this offseason.
Why Eduardo Rodriguez would make sense
In 25 starts, Rodriguez is 12-9 with an ERA of 3.40. He has also fanned 138 batters in 145.2 innings of work. He's averaging 8.5 strikeouts per nine innings and just 2.9 walks. His strikeout-to-walk ratio is quite good too, as it sits at 2.94.
Rodriguez is having a very successful season and could profile as a No. 2 starter if he repeats his performance next year. The Cardinals also are in desperate need of strikeout pitching in their rotation and their bullpen.
For the past several years, the Cards pitching staff has largely operated with a pitch-to-contact approach. It has worked in the past thanks to a solid defense, but with the shift being banned, it took them a little bit of time to adjust to the new rules.
In this day and age, strikeouts are what is coveted by teams. swing-and-miss pitching typically plays well in the postseason too, and having a few pitchers like that on the roster could give the Cardinals a far better chance to make a deeper run. They haven't won a playoff series since 2019 or a postseason game since 2020. In fact, they have lost each of their previous five playoff games.
Rodriguez has pitched in the postseason with the Red Sox since he made his Major League debut back in 2015. He even helped guide the Sox to a World Series title in 2018.
But if his numbers this year are any indication, he could be a pitcher that the Cardinals decide to target in free agency as they try to bolster their pitching staff for 2024.
Reasons to stay away from Eduardo Rodriguez
While Rodriguez could be a solid addition for St. Louis, there may be some reasons to stay away from him.
Firstly, the veteran left-hander has dealt with some injuries over the past couple of years. He was out for over a month earlier this season due to a left index finger pulley rupture. Last year, he missed most of the season with a ribcage sprain. Fortunately, none of his injuries were arm related, but it's still something to keep an eye on.
This is also the first season that Rodriguez has pitched like a top-of-the-rotation starter. He had a 4.05 ERA last season, which was his first year with the Tigers. That isn't a bad mark by any stretch, but it isn't something that teams looking for an ace would look for in any pitcher.
He's only had two seasons in his career where he has finished with an ERA below four. That likely will change this year, but it's also something that the Cardinals may think twice about before pursuing him, if Rodriguez is somebody they decide to try for this coming winter.
It's going to take three starters from outside the organization to get the Cardinals back to where they want to be, and they'll want to make sure they're getting the right arms.
