Ex-Blue Jays, Dodgers Starter Could Sign With Cardinals According To Insider

St. Louis could use one more starter to help bolster the rotation

The St. Louis Cardinals have been one of the most active clubs in baseball since the 2023 season came to an end. 

St. Louis had a surprisingly underwhelming season and has made multiple additions to address the club's holes on the roster. The Cardinals are in a much better spot but that doesn't mean the club should be done adding.

The Cardinals added Sonny Gray, Lance Lynn, and Kyle Gibson, but another hurler could make a lot of sense. St. Louis' rotation struggled last season and had a lack of depth.

There still are players out there in free agency who could help without breaking the bank. One player who could be an option is former Los Angeles Dodgers and Toronto Blue Jays hurler Hyun-Jin Ryu, according to The Athletic's Jim Bowden.

"Ryu returned from Tommy John surgery last August and impressed the rest of the way, making a total of 11 starts and allowing three runs or fewer in nine of them," Bowden said. "He pitched five innings in six of those starts and a season-high six innings in one start. His fastball was mostly 87 to 89 (miles per hour). Opponents his .276 against his changeup and .238 against his cutter.

"Ryu appears to be healthy but will have to accept a one-year deal because of the injury risk. He would be wise to sign with a non-contending team that could trade him at the deadline if he pitches in the first half like he did at the end of 2023. A team like the (Pittsburgh Pirates), (Washington Nationals), or (Oakland Athletics) might make sense. Or maybe a contending team that has multiple starters who are high injury risks, have age concerns, or are trending downward could tap him for rotation depth; the (New York Yankees), (Milwaukee Brewers), or Cardinals might fit in that vein."

Ryu is a one-time All-Star with a career 3.27 ERA in his 10-year big league career. If he's healthy, why not give him a chance?

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