Ex-Cardinals Homegrown Star Hitting Open Market, Sets Up Opportunity For Reunion

St. Louis should consider a second stint for the right-hander

Scott Neville | Nov 5, 2023

Ex-Cardinals Homegrown Star Hitting Open Market, Sets Up Opportunity For Reunion /

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St. Louis Cardinals

The St. Louis is going to be very active in the pitching market this winter after Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak declared that he would add three starters this offseason.

Names such as Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Blake Snell, Aaron Nola and even former friend Jordan Montgomery will headline an incredibly strong class of hurlers. But all three additions will not be from the top of the market, which is why St. Louis will have a deep list of targets.

One of those potential targets was a former Cardinals first-round pick that has gotten back on track after a few down years toward the middle of his career.

"The (San Diego) Padres declined their two-year, $32 million club option on Michael Wacha," The Athletic's Dennis Lin reported Saturday. "He's now expected to go to free agency."

Wacha has been a high-end pitcher over the last two years after seemingly reinventing himself with the Boston Red Sox in 2022.

The 32-year-old 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.

Wacha is projected to receive a three-year, $36 million deal according to The Athletic's Tim Britton's research -- which would make him one of the best values available.

St. Louis absolutely should get one of the aforementioned big names to lead the rotation and then fill out the rest of the group with players that come a little cheaper. Something along the lines of Aaron Nola, Sonny Gray and Wacha would place the St. Louis right back in the postseason mix.

More MLB: Dodgers Decline Ex-Cardinals Fan Favorite's Club Option With Free Agency Looming

Published Nov 5, 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