Inside The Cardinals

Cardinals Trade Idea Would Land Rays $31 Million Vet In St. Louis

Could a trade make sense for St. Louis?

Patrick McAvoy

Apr 3, 2023; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; A general view of a Tampa Bay Rays hat and glove during the seventh inning of the game against the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Scott Taetsch-Imagn Images
Apr 3, 2023; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; A general view of a Tampa Bay Rays hat and glove during the seventh inning of the game against the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Scott Taetsch-Imagn Images / Scott Taetsch-Imagn Images
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Will the St. Louis Cardinals find a way to add some pitching this winter despite wanting to cut payroll?

St. Louis has some very tough decisions to make this winter. The Cardinals are going to trim payroll, but they still have to put together a roster for the 2025 season. It surely will be much younger in 2025 with an eye for the future.

This could lead the Cardinals to let some players go, which would open even more spots. The Cardinals likely will need to add some pitching both in the rotation and the bullpen. One player who was floated as a possible high-upside option is Tampa Bay Rays veteran pitcher Jeffrey Springs by FanSided's Josh Jacobs.

"Upon Springs' return at the end of this season, he made seven starts while posting a 3.27 ERA and striking out batters 26.1 percent of the time," Jacobs said. "while it was not a large sample size by any means, his Chase percent, Whiff percent, and K percent were all excellent, and his xERA and xBA were really solid as well. Springs' average fastball velocity had dipped from just under 92 MPH in 2023 to 89.8 MPH in 2024 though, something worth monitoring.

"While I do expect the Rays to compete in 2025, Springs is owed $10.5 million in both 2025 and 2026 with a $15 million club option in 2027. We all know how the Rays tend to operate in trading away players as they get expensive in order to replenish their system, and Springs is projected to be their highest-paid player in 2025 at this moment."

If the Rays make him available, he may be worth a look for St. Louis. He is 32 years old and won't be a free agent until 2028. St. Louis could easily bring him in and see if he could help stabilize the rotation or move him to the bullpen. He will be cheap and should be considered, as Jacobs mentioned.

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Patrick McAvoy
PATRICK MCAVOY

Patrick McAvoy's experiences include local and national sports coverage at the New England Sports Network with a focus on baseball and basketball. Outside of journalism, Patrick also is pursuing an MBA at Brandeis University. After quickly rising as one of the most productive writers on the site, he expanded his reach to write for Baseball Essential, a national baseball site in Sports Illustrated Media Group. For all business/marketing inquiries regarding Inside The Cardinals, please reach out to Scott Neville: nevilles@merrimack.edu

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