Taking Chance On Ex-Rays All-Star Could Make Perfect Sense For Struggling Cardinals

One former Rays All-Star may make sense for the Cardinals to sign

The St. Louis Cardinals haven't quite got their footing yet this season. 

St. Louis entered the 2023 season with extremely high expectations and hasn't lived up to them yet. The Cardinals currently sit in last place in the National League Central at 7-11 and are 4-6 over their last 10 games. 

The biggest reason for the Cardinals' struggles this season hasn't been the offense. St. Louis is tied for fourth in the league in batting average at .269, fifth in on-base percentage at .345, and eighth in slugging percentage at .426. The Cardinals' pitching hasn't been as fortunate this season as the club has a team ERA of 4.64 through 18 games -- good for 20th in all of baseball. 

At this point, the biggest hope St. Louis has in a pitching turnaround certainly is the eventual return of Adam Wainwright and improved performance up and down the roster. Jack Flaherty is the only St. Louis starter with an ERA under 4.00. One player the team could take a chance on if they wanted to sign an external candidate could be former Tampa Bay Rays hurler Chris Archer. 

Archer is a two-time All-Star but has seen struggles in recent years due to inconsistent play and injuries. The 34-year-old may not be a top-of-the-rotation guy at this point in his career, but he has shown that he still can provide depth for a big-league club. Whether in the back of the rotation or in the minor leagues, Archer could help a team. 

The former Rays hurler pitched for the Minnesota Twins in 2022 and compiled a 4.56 ERA in 25 starts in 102 2/3 innings pitched. Archer still is available as a free agent and likely wouldn't cost a team much if they decided to take a chance on him. At this point, a move for a pitcher certainly wouldn't hurt the Cardinals in any way. Three of St. Louis' starting pitchers have compiled ERAs over 5.00 so far this season so adding another MLB veteran into the mix wouldn't hurt. If St. Louis could sign Archer and he found his way at the Triple-A level, he could provide even more depth for a club that should be in contention late in the season.

A move may not be likely, but St. Louis should be considering all options.

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