Cardinals Linked To Former Red Sox All-Star Pitcher In Free Agency

St. Louis may make sense as a possible landing spot for a former Red Sox All-Star

Changes are coming to the St. Louis Cardinals organization. 

The Cardinals have some serious work to do and there are sure to be nonstop rumors flowing until free agency actually begins. St. Louis won just 71 games in 2023 so there obviously is room for growth. 

St. Louis already has made it known that the club will spend more this offseason and the Cardinals have been linked multiple stars already. Star hurlers like San Diego Padres ace Blake Snell or Orix Buffaloes phenom Yoshinobu Yamamoto but the club has more holes to fill. 

The Cardinals had the 23rd-ranked bullpen in 2023 with a disappointing 4.47 ERA. St. Louis will need to address the bullpen this offseason and one player who has been suggested as a target could be Miami Marlins hurler Matt Barnes by Redbird Rants' Thomas Gauvain. 

"In 2023, Barnes didn't play up to his usual standards," Gauvain said. "He finished the year with a 5.48 ERA, 4.15 FIP, 1.641 WHIP, and he allowed a near-career-high hits/9 rate of 10.5. He also fought injuries, and he was thus limited to only 21.1 innings on the year. Where Barnes shined brightest, however, was against left-handed batters. They hit .258/.324/.290 against him. His ability to limit extra-base hits and home runs against lefties would be beneficial to a Cardinals' relief core. While Barnes didn't get many strikeouts, he was able to limit walks, and he finished the year with a 2.67 strikeout-to-walk ratio.

"Matt Barnes was under contract for nearly $10 million last year. Due to his age and his underperformance in 2023, Barnes probably won't sign a contract worth that much. Spotrac has its value at just under $3 million."

Barnes has spent most of his career so far with the Boston Red Sox -- even earning an All-Star nod in 2021 -- but was traded to the Marlins ahead of the 2023 campaign. The veteran righty compiled a 5.48 ERA in 2023 but has a career 4.13 ERA in 10 years. He's a bounce-back candidate after dealing with a plethora of injuries this season and could become available. Barnes has a club option built into his contract which could be declined due to his struggles. 

If Barnes becomes available, he could be an intriguing cheaper option to bolster the back of the Cardinals' bullpen. A move may be unlikely, but is an interesting thought.

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