Cardinals Loosely Linked To Budding Young Ace To Help Improve Starting Rotation

St. Louis could use another starter and one Marlins budding ace could be an option

The St. Louis Cardinals had one of the worst seasons in team history in 2024.

St. Louis entered the season with extremely high expectations but underwhelmed. The biggest reason for the Cardinals' struggles certainly was a lack of success from the starting rotation.

The Cardinals had some question marks about the rotation heading into the season but thought its potent offense would be enough to keep the club in contention. It didn't end up being the case and the Cardinals ended up being one of the biggest sellers ahead of the trade deadline and dealt Jordan Montgomery and Jack Flaherty away.

St. Louis hoped to add at least three starters this offseason and already have done that by landing Sonny Gray, Lance Lynn, and Kyle Gibson. The Cardinals still could end up landing another starter but any other move likely would be through a trade.

Although it's unclear if the club will land another hurler, one player who has been loosely linked to the club is Miami Marlins budding ace Jesús Luzardo, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch's Derrick Goold.

"This offseason, the only one of that group that I've heard any connection to the Cardinals is Luzardo, and it wasn't clear how motivated the Marlins were to trade, so I could not report there was much traction there," Goold said. "Not like there was with other potential trades that were noted in the coverage. Luzardo would fit the profile of the Cardinals' interest, which is where the connection could be drawn. The thinking was the Cardinals had the outfield/power to offer the Marlins what they wanted.

"And the Cardinals have eyeballed starters on the Marlins for trades over the past few years, just not pulled those deals. I've not had much luck pinning down interest in (Shane Bieber) or anything with (Emmanuel Clase), though obviously, Clase would be a big addition to any bullpen. Uber-talent for late innings."

Goold was asked about possible Cardinals trade targets and discussed the possibility of the club landing Luzardo. The 26-year-old has been one of the most talked about starters who could be traded recently. He has two straight seasons with an ERA under 4.00 under his belt and is under team control until 2027.

St. Louis could use another top-of-the-rotation starter and Luzardo fits that description.

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