Cardinals Urged To Poach Rangers $14M Hurler To Fix 'Biggest Roster Hole'

Should the Cardinals make a move like this in the near future?

Jul 26, 2024; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; The hat and glove of Texas Rangers fielder Leody Taveras (3) during a game against the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images / John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images

Will the St. Louis Cardinals add any key pieces this offseason?

It has been somewhat of an odd offseason so far for the Cardinals. St. Louis announced shortly after the 2024 season ended that Chaim Bloom would be the team's president of baseball operations after the 2025 campaign ends. The Cardinals also made it known that they want to trim payroll and maximize playing time for young players.

While this is the case, due to no-trade clauses, it seems like star third baseman Nolan Arenado could be the only big-name player on the move. Maybe things will change, but it has been an odd offseason.

If the Cardinals are going to head into the 2025 season with much of the same roster intact, it would make sense to add cheap, strategic pieces at least. Bleacher Report's Zachary Rymer made a list of one realistic free agent for each team to fix their "biggest roster hole" and suggested former Texas Rangers hurler José Leclerc for St. Louis.

"St. Louis Cardinals: RHP José Leclerc," Rymer said. "The Cardinals' needs aren't so much related to potential additions. It's subtractions that they need to make, starting with Nolan Arenado and ideally continuing with either Miles Mikolas and Steven Matz.

"There may be room for a buy-low option for their bullpen, however. Leclerc would work. Though he had a rough year in 2024, he was very good in 2022 (2.83 ERA) and even better in 2023 (2.68 ERA) for a Texas Rangers squad that won the World Series."

Leclerc is a free agent after finishing up a four-year, roughly $14 million deal with Texas. He has a career 3.27 ERA across 350 big league appearances. If the Cardinals could get him for cheap, this move would make sense.

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