Ex-Cardinals All-Star Reportedly Could Reunite With St. Louis For Economical Price

The former St. Louis hurler is available this offseason

Aug 4, 2022; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; (Editors note: in camera multiple exposure) St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Jose Quintana (63) pitches against the Chicago Cubs during the sixth inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images / Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

The St. Louis Cardinals will cut costs this offseason but several holes in the roster still need to be addressed via free agency or the trade market.

Following the recent decisions to turn down Lance Lynn and Kyle Gibson's 2025 club options, the Cardinals must find at least one more starting pitcher to supplant the veteran hurlers in the rotation.

Young pitchers such as Michael McGreevy and Andre Pallante will have an increased workload in 2025. Perhaps the Cardinals should add another proven arm to complement Sonny Gray on the frontline of the pitching staff -- if he isn't traded.

"Jose Quintana: He showed a lot of his old self in the second half," New York Post's Jon Heyman wrote Thursday when ranking this winter's top free agents and predicting each player's impending contract. "$22M, 2 years."

Quintana posted a 3-2 record with a 2.01 ERA, 48-to-16 strikeout-to-walk ratio, .238 batting average against and a 1.12 WHIP during the second half of the 2022 season for the Cardinals.

Although Quintana's stint in St. Louis was short-lived after being acquired as a rental option for the most recent Cardinals' playoff run, he would surely be welcomed back.

The soon-to-be 36-year-old doesn't fit the Cardinals youth movement game plan but considering Quintana's projected worth, St. Louis would be foolish not to consider a reunion. An estimated $11 million annually for a starter who nearly helped lead the New York Mets to the World Series this season would be a steal.

The All-Star southpaw posted a 10-10 record with a 3.75 ERA, 135-to-63 strikeout-to-walk ratio, .237 batting average against and a 1.25 WHIP in 170 1/3 innings pitched for the Mets in 2024.

Signing Quintana would help stabilize a shaky Cardinals roster for next season without having to remove too much from chairman Bill DeWitt Jr.'s wallet.

More MLB: Beloved Cardinals Hurler Linked To Blockbuster Trade With Braves, Per Insider