Cardinals Could Pursue $12 Million Former Cy Young After Payroll Decrease

The Cardinals could make a move once some money is cleared out.

Jul 30, 2024; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; Texas Rangers starting pitcher Max Scherzer (31) pitches against the St. Louis Cardinals during the second inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images / Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

The St. Louis Cardinals are taking a step back in 2025 rather than trying to contend. They're looking to decrease payroll and put more emphasis on their young core.

This could mean that they'll trade players such as Nolan Arenado, Erick Fedde, or even Steven Matz. They likely aren't going to be active spenders this winter, so it might make sense for them to trade some players.

However, that doesn't mean that they won't make any additional moves. Once some money is cleared out, they could dive into the free agent market to boost their pitching staff.

Perhaps they could take a look at St. Louis native Max Scherzer, who The Athletic lists as one of the top remaining free agents.

"Though he turned 40 in July, Scherzer has indicated that he wants to pitch one more season, putting his Cooperstown bid on hold for the time being. His workload has meaningfully declined in recent years, and he’s surely not the 200-inning beast of his prime, but he remains Max Scherzer. We’ll soon find out what that means as he approaches his 41st birthday."

Scherzer went 2-4 with a 3.95 ERA in nine starts with the Texas Rangers. When he's healthy, he can still be one of the game's top pitchers. That will ultimately be the key for him in 2025.

He was effective when he was not on the injured list this past season, and putting him next to Sonny Gray might give St. Louis a decent chance to surprise some doubters.

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