Cardinals Loosely Linked To Ex-Orioles Fireballer As Possible Bounce-Back Candidate

Should the Cardinals pursue the former Orioles fireballer this offseason?

The St. Louis Cardinals still have plenty of work to do this offseason despite improving their starting rotation already.

St. Louis entered the offseason looking to add three starting pitchers and already have done just that. The Cardinals landed Sonny Gray, Kyle Gibson, and Lance Lynn and seem to be set in the rotation.

Although that is the case, St. Louis also had one of the worst bullpens in baseball last year and needs to add to it this offseason. The free-agent reliever market has been extremely slow this offseason but is expected to pick up soon.

One player who has been loosely linked to the Cardinals is former Oakland Athletics and Baltimore Orioles fireballer Shintaro Fujinami, according to Bleacher Report's Zachary Rymer.

With (Sonny Gray), (Kyle Gibson), and (Lance Lynn) in place, the Cardinals have fulfilled their goal of adding three starting pitchers this winter," Rymer said. "As far as what's next, it wouldn't be an outrage if the answer proves to be nothing. Yet bullpen help could be on the way, and more likely via free agency than the trade market.

"A reunion with Jordan Hicks would make some sense, but Shintaro Fujinami is a similar pitcher who can probably be had for a fraction of the cost. His control is less than good, but it got better as he was really letting it fly with the Orioles down the stretch of 2023."

Fujinami struggled in his rookie season in 2023 with a 7.18 overall ERA in 64 games but has plenty of upside. After being traded by the Athletics to the Orioles ahead of the trade deadline, he began to turn things around. Fujinami logged a 4.85 ERA in 30 outings with the Orioles. Plus, he finished in the 98th percentile in fastball velocity last year. 

He may not be the biggest name on the market, but he could be an intriguing player to watch out for in St. Louis.

More MLB: Rumored Cardinals Target Reportedly Close To Signing Deal With Padres Despite Speculation