Could Cardinals Add Red Sox Starter On Predicted $48 Million Deal?

Is there a big move coming for the Cardinals this winter?

Apr 29, 2021; Arlington, Texas, USA; A view of the Boston Red Sox logo and a field bag during batting practice before the game between the Texas Rangers and the Boston Red Sox at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images / Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

The St. Louis Cardinals are a team that isn't likely to hand out a large deal this winter unless it can have a big long-term impact.

St. Louis is building for the future. That could slightly sacrifice the team's performance in the short term, but the organization may be better off for it. The Cardinals missed the playoffs in each of the last two seasons and now are looking to make changes.

Chaim Bloom will be taking over the organization as the president of baseball operations after the 2025 season. Because of the changes coming in the front offices, it seems like short-term deals are more likely than anything else.

While this is the case, The Athletic's Tim Britton, Chad Jennings, and Aaron Gleeman listed the Cardinals among "best fits" for Boston Red Sox hurler Nick Pivetta and predicted that he will land a three-year, $48 million deal.

"Pivetta is a durable innings eater who can, at times, do more than just eat innings," Britton, Jennings, and Gleeman said. "His strikeout rate the past two years was fourth-best in the majors among pitchers with at least 250 innings, and his 4.09 ERA the past two seasons is comparable to that of Dylan Cease (4.00), Aaron Nola (4.01) and Joe Ryan (4.10).

"Granted, some of Pivetta’s productivity came out of the bullpen in the second half of 2023, but his best stretches have been impressive, even if they’ve been mixed with patches of vulnerability and inconsistency. At the very least, though, Pivetta has been available...Britton's projection: three years, $48 million. Best fits: (Milwaukee Brewers), (St. Louis Cardinals), (Tampa Bay Rays)."

Pivetta clearly has a tie to Bloom with both spending time with the Red Sox. This is the type of deal that wouldn't hurt the Cardinals in the short term and could help the team beyond the 2025 campaign. Maybe it could work.

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