Ex-Cardinals Homegrown All-Star Linked To Division Rival On The Rise

St. Louis could see a familiar face multiple times a year

Scott Neville | Dec 12, 2023

Ex-Cardinals Homegrown All-Star Linked To Division Rival On The Rise /

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Could one of the most-hyped former homegrown St. Louis Cardinals pitchers suit up for a division rival next season?

Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak wasted no time beefing up the club's rotation after their first last-place finish in the National League Central since 1990. In his efforts, he brought back Lance Lynn.

Another impactful hurler that debuted in the same Cardinals era remains on the market but could get scooped up by an inter-division rival on the rise, the Cincinnati Reds.

"Sources: Reds active on free agent and trade markets as they search for a starting pitcher," MLB.com's Jon Morosi reported Tuesday. "Shane Bieber, who has trained at Driveline this offseason, is one name they've checked on via trade. Michael Wacha and Lucas Giolito are among their free agent options."

Wacha has gone 25-6 with a 3.27 ERA (127 ERA+), 228-to-74 strikeout-to-walk ratio, .228 batting average against and 1.14 WHIP in 261 1/3 innings across 47 starts over the last two seasons since renovating himself with the Boston Red Sox in 2022 and then heading to the San Diego Padres the following season.

Now Wacha finds himself in position to capitalize on his recent success, and could cash in with the Reds.

The Cardinals are presumed to be done adding starters and have even said that if another addition were to be made, it would likely be via trade.

However, St. Louis should explore a reunion with Wacha, once tabbed the next great Cardinals starter before a rocky end to his tenure at Busch Stadium.

Wacha found his groove and has been comfortable pursuing short-term deals as of late. With Sonny Gray's backloaded contract, the Cardinals could reasonably afford to sign him.

If not, they might be forced to oppose him multiple times a year.

More MLB: Ex-Cardinals Hurler 'Close' To Finalizing Deal With Royals Amid Spending Spree

Published Dec 12, 2023

SCOTT NEVILLE

Scott Neville covers the St. Louis Cardinals for FanNation's "Inside The Cardinals" on Sports Illustrated. Before starting "Inside The Cardinals", Neville attended Merrimack College, where he earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Communication and Media with a minor in Marketing. Neville spent all four years with Merrimack's radio station WMCK, where he grew as a radio/podcast host and producer. His propensity for being in front of a microphone eventually expanded to film, where he produced multiple short films alongside his then-roommate and current co-worker Stephen Mottram. On a journey that began as a way to receive easy credits via film classes, he received a call from "It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia" star Charlie Day. Day advised him to make a feature-length film, which he completed his senior year. While writing the film, Neville completed an internship for United Way as part of their NFL Partnership Program. Neville ran the blog for a team of interns and hosted an internet show called "United Way's NFL Partnership Series" where he interviewed NFL alumni. After college Neville wrote for SB Nation's "Over The Monster," a Red Sox sister site of the flagship brand. His work would eventually lead him to a job as a content producer with NESN, where he would cover all sports. After developing as a writer with the top regional network in the world, he was given the opportunity to join FanNation and the Sports Illustrated Media Group as the publisher of "Inside The Red Sox." After a few months as the top Major League Baseball site in the program, Neville sought expansion and pitched "Inside The Cardinals," one of the newest additions to FanNation and the Sports Illustrated Media Group. The successful launch and quick rise of "Inside The Cardinals" led to Neville joining the Baseball Essential ownership group, a national baseball site under SIMG. Follow him on Twitter: @ScottNeville46 Email: nevilles@merrimack.edu