Ex-Cardinals All-Star Lands Deal With Royals Following Strong Season

St. Louis has lost out on another possible reunion

The St. Louis Cardinals have been on a mission this winter to retool their decimated pitching staff after a tumultuous 2023 performance.

After acquiring three starting pitchers -- including the reigning American League Cy Young runner-up Sonny Gray -- president of baseball operations John Mozeliak appears to be content with the state of the Cardinals' rotation.

Mozeliak did not rule out the possibility of adding another arm to the rotation but a former Cardinals hurler is no longer an option.

"Right-handed starter Michael Wacha and the Kansas City Royals are in agreement on a two-year, $32 million contract," ESPN's Jeff Passan reported Friday.

Wacha recorded a 59-39 record with a 3.91 ERA, 759-to-301 strikeout-to-walk ratio, and 1.33 WHIP throughout seven seasons pitched for the Cardinals.

The homegrown talent was on a downward slope in his career until ticking up his performance the last two seasons -- posting a 25-6 record with a 3.27 ERA in 47 starts between his time playing for the Boston Red Sox and San Diego Padres.

St. Louis should have pursued a contract with the former Cardinals pitcher as they had plenty of payroll room to do so with Gray's backloaded contract.

Signing Wacha to a short-term contract would have been ideal as it would've given the Cardinals a veteran pitcher who's coming off a strong season for a fairly low cost.

The Cardinals missed their chance to capitalize on a potential steal in acquiring Wacha.

More MLB: Ex-Cardinals Homegrown Hurler Signs Elsewhere After Inconsistent Season