Cardinals Reportedly Have 'Heavily Scouted' Star Hurler; Could Major Move Be Coming?

St. Louis sounds like it's going to be aggressive this offseason

The St. Louis Cardinals could end up going big this offseason.

St. Louis struggled this season and finished with an abysmal 71-91 record so major changes are necessary. The Cardinals' offense actually is in a good spot, but the club's pitching needs some serious work. St. Louis has said all of the right things so far and has made it known that it will be looking for three starters this offseason. The Cardinals have been linked to multiple stars already, as well, as possibilities. 

It's unclear exactly who the Cardinals will land, but it does sound like the club will be serious about improving and will spend like it. One player who has been linked to the Cardinals on numerous occasions and continues to do so is Japanese ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto, according to the New York Post's Jon Heyman.

"Word going around is the (New York Mets) might be high bidders for coveted Japanese right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto. Every big-market team has been tracking the two-time MVP, but a couple rival GMs say they hear the Mets are expected to go big.

"The (New York Yankees), (Chicago Cubs), (Los Angeles Dodgers), (Boston Red Sox), Cardinals, (Philadelphia Phillies), (San Francisco Giants), (Arizona Diamondbacks), (Detroit Tigers), and (Texas Rangers) and others heavily scouted Yamamoto."

The 25-year-old will be posted by the Orix Buffaloes this offseason and will have a massive market. This isn't too surprising as he has a career 1.72 ERA across seven professional seasons and is just 25 years old. St. Louis has been mentioned as a possible fit on numerous occasions and has money to spend this offseason. If St. Louis were to land Yamamoto this offseason, it would be a slam dunk of a move. The Cardinals need pitching and Yamamoto possibly could be the best hurler available. 

No matter what happens, it is a positive sign that the Cardinals continue to be mentioned with the big-name pitchers available. It shows that St. Louis may be aggressive this offseason.

More MLB: Cardinals Hinted As Possible Destination For One Of Best Pitchers In Baseball; Although Unlikely