The St. Louis Cardinals are sitting at home after finishing with an 83-79 record and missing the postseason.
Now, the team appears to be headed towards a semi-rebuild, which means some key players could be traded, including Sonny Gray, Willson Contreras, Nolan Arenado, and Ryan Helsley.
Still, they could find a way to bring in some new players for 2025. The starting rotation could use another veteran presence.
Perhaps St. Louis could take a look at right-hander Walker Buehler, who was once a Cy Young candidate.
"Buehler was an elite pitcher between 2018 and 2021, running a 2.82 ERA across 564 innings. Alas, a 4.75 ERA and a second Tommy John surgery over the last three years have dampened his star," Zachary D. Rymer wrote. "He'll be a candidate for a one-year 'prove it' deal."
Because of his injuries and struggles, Buehler likely won't be terribly expensive, which means he could be right in the Cardinals' preferred price range.
St. Louis is looking to cut down on their payroll for 2025, which could be done by trading away some veterans. But Buehler could be a low-risk, high-reward pickup for a team looking to rebuild.
The Cardinals could also potentially throw in a club option for 2026 and be able to keep him around for one more year if he does well.
His market will be interesting to follow. He went 1-6 with a 5.38 ERA during the regular season, and he'll likely need to use next season to rebuild his value.
We'll see if St. Louis makes a play for the right-hander.
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