Ex-Rangers All-Star Could Be $9 Million Sleeper Fit For Cardinals

The Cardinals should be looking to bring in one more hurler

Sep 5, 2023; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; A detailed view of the hat and glove of St. Louis Cardinals second baseman Nolan Gorman (not pictured) before a game against the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images / Brett Davis-Imagn Images

The St. Louis Cardinals should add at least one more starting pitcher this offseason.

St. Louis should be in the market to add a hurler after declining both Lance Lynn and Kyle Gibson's club options for the 2025 season. Even if the Cardinals are going to roll with a young rotation in 2025, it still makes sense to add a veteran after cutting ties with both.

One sleeper fit would be one-time All-Star Martín Pérez. He is available in free agency and is projected to get a one-year deal worth over $9 million in free agency. Pérez logged a 4.53 ERA across 26 starts with the Pittsburgh Pirates and San Diego Padres in 2024.

He spent the previous two seasons with the Texas Rangers and was an All-Star in 2022 with a 2.89 ERA across 32 starts and won a World Series with Texas in 2023. He's still out there in free and could be an option to add another veteran to the Cardinals' rotation.

Pérez would be a solid option to secure the back of the Cardinals' rotation while eating up innings. He pitched 135 innings last year, 141 2/3 innings in 2023, and 196 1/3 innings in 2022. If the Cardinals want to bring in another hurler, he's someone who is cheap and easily could be had in free agency if they act quickly.

The National League Central is vulnerable and adding a player like Pérez could help the Cardinals compete.

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