Ex-Astros Starter Had Throwing Session For Teams; Cardinals Are Intriguing Landing Spot

Could St. Louis end up landing the former Astros hurler?

The St. Louis Cardinals' starting rotation is in a much better place than it was when the 2023 campaign came to an end. 

St. Louis entered the 2023 season with question marks around its rotation and things didn't work out. The Cardinals struggled out of the gate and never got on track. St. Louis eventually dealt Jordan Montgomery and Jack Flaherty ahead of the trade deadline.

The Cardinals did a good job of rebuilding the rotation early on in the offseason but it could never hurt to add even more depth with upside. 

One player who is looking for a new opportunity is former Kansas City Royals, Tampa Bay Rays, Minnesota Twins, Houston Astros, and Atlanta Braves hurler Jake Odorizzi. He even recently threw a bullpen in front of clubs, according to MLB Network's Jon Morosi.

"Free agent (right-handed pitcher) Jake Odorizzi, an All-Star starter in 2019, is throwing without restrictions and looking to sign a major league deal in the coming weeks," Morosi said. "Odorizzi, 33, has pitched off the mound this offseason in front of evaluators from 10 to 12 teams."

He didn't pitch in 2023, but if he is fully healthy he could be a solid back-of-the-rotation candidate with upside. He has a career 3.99 ERA in 11 big league seasons and is a one-time All-Star. 

Odorizzi is just 33 years old and also certainly won't cost much for whichever team ends up landing him. It wouldn't be surprising to see Odorizzi land a minor league deal with a chance to make a big league club out of Spring Training.

That's the exact type of low-risk deal that could make perfect sense for the Cardinals. 

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