Here's Six Potential Cardinals Targets On Remaining Playoff Teams

St. Louis would be wise to poach from the top rosters in baseball

The St. Louis Cardinals plan on making notable additions to their roster in order to get back on track after a last-place finish in the weakened National League Central.

With that in mind, it would make sense for the Cardinals to start their retooling process by poaching from the best teams in Major League Baseball.

Here are six pitchers to keep an eye on this postseason -- with some additional throw-ins mentioned throughout:

Philadelphia Phillies starter Aaron Nola
Nola is one of the true frontline starters in this league and one of the most consistent hurlers in the game. He'll likely command somewhere in the range of $20-$25 million per year and would serve as the Cardinals' top acquisition should he sign with St. Louis. 

Nola could be paired with someone in the Sonny Gray tier, a solid mid-level acquisition via trade or free agency, Steven Matz and Miles Mikolas in order to jumpstart the roster with a formidable rotation.

While watching the Phillies, it would also be smart to pay attention to impending free-agent starter Michael Lorenzen -- who made the American League All-Star team before his trade to Philadelphia. Things fell off the rails a little after the trade but he still posted a 4.18 ERA (105 ERA+) on the year. 

Texas Rangers starter Jordan Montgomery
There's no need to give an in-depth review of Montgomery to Cardinals fans but it should be noted that the southpaw has been dominant since departing from St. Louis at the trade deadline.

After starting the year with a 3.42 ERA through 21 starts, he posted a 2.79 ERA in 11 games for the Rangers. The 32-year-old would make a lot of sense to bring back. The Cardinals would get a major nod if they could complete the reunion after acquiring some of the Rangers' top prospects for just a few months of work.

While checking out the Rangers, it would be wise to look back into right-handed reliever Chris Stratton as well after he posted a 3.41 ERA in 29 innings post-trade deadline.

Philadelphia Phillies closer Craig Kimbrel
Starting pitching is the clear top need for St. Louis, but adding a high-leverage reliever is never a bad idea.

Kimbrel posted a 3.26 ERA with a 94-to-28 strikeout-to-walk ratio, .181 batting average against and 1.04 WHIP in 69 innings for the Phillies this season. He also locked down 23 saves in 28 opportunities. 

The 35-year-old has shown no signs of slowing down his Hall of Famer career and should be considered this winter.

Houston Astros reliever Phil Maton
The scariest part about the Astros' seventh-straight appearance in the American League Championship Series is that they have their entire core intact for the future. The only semi-meaningful players set to depart are quality relievers.

Of the bunch, Maton stands out as the cream of the crop. The 30-year-old right-hander posted a 3.00 ERA (141 ERA+) with a 74-to-25 strikeout-to-walk ratio, .207 batting average against and 1.12 WHIP in 66 innings of work this season. 

His 3.74 FIP and 4.25 career ERA imply that his 2023 season could be a fluke but there's always a chance he just turned it around in Houston -- something we've seen a plethora of hurlers do. 

Ryne Stanek also would suffice after posting a 4.09 ERA this season and an incredible 1.15 ERA a year ago. He's had a very strange career but is worth a lottery ticket. 

Atlanta Braves starter Charlie Morton
The 39-year-old hurler is one of a handful of athletes who seemingly went into the later stages of their careers to prove age is just a number. Morton posted a 3.64 ERA (122 ERA+) in 163 1/3 innings this year and has a $20 million club option that I would be hard-pressed to believe the Braves would accept given his age.

Morton will be in the Cardinals' price range should he enter free agency and would be an interesting addition -- though you'd have to wonder about a steep decline with a 40-year-old pitcher -- as we saw this season with Corey Kluber. 

Atlanta Braves reliever Joe Jiménez
Jiménez could be deemed the most desirable player about to enter free agency from the Braves after posting a 3.04 ERA with a 73-to-14 strikeout-to-walk ratio, .233 batting average against and 1.15 WHIP in 56 1/3 innings this season. 

The 28-year-old would be an immediate top arm in the Cardinals bullpen should he join the roster. It would be wise for St. Louis to put him high on the priority list. 

Pierce Johnson would be worth a lottery ticket as well -- he started the season with a 6.00 ERA on the Colorado Rockies but has a 0.76 ERA since being dealt to the Braves in 23 2/3 innings of work.

More MLB: Cardinals Reportedly Will Pursue Pair Of All-Star Pitchers Deemed As 'Good Fits' For Rotation