The St. Louis Cardinals will likely have some holes to fill in their starting rotation at the onset of the offseason.
Starters Kyle Gibson and Lance Lynn have club options for 2025, but the team will likely decline both options, allowing both starters to enter free agency.
While the offense has been the biggest problem, their pitching issues cannot be ignored. But they could bolster their starting rotation with an under-the-radar pickup in free agency.
"Robbie Ray holds $25 million player options for 2025 and 2026 but could opt out of his contract after this season," Jim Bowden wrote. "How he pitches in August and September will drive that decision and determine his free-agent value."
Ray has bounced back from Tommy John surgery and is showing signs of returning to his old form. The left-hander won the American League Cy Young Award back in 2021. That ultimately led to him receiving a five-year contract from the Seattle Mariners.
Because of his recent injury history, Ray might choose to bet on himself to see if he can boost his value even further. In that case, he would be a perfect fit for the Cardinals.
The 32-year-old left-hander has pitched some good games since returning from the injured list. His numbers for 2024 aren't great, as he owns a 6.00 ERA on the season, but he has pitched well in several of his starts with the Giants.
Depending on how Ray finishes the season, he could be a candidate for an affordable one-year deal. If the Cardinals do sign him to such a deal, they could also throw an option into the contract.
St. Louis will need an effective left-hander in their rotation next season, as Steven Matz has not been reliable over the past few seasons. We'll see if they pursue Ray on free agency.
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