The St. Louis Cardinals are planning to cut payroll this coming offseason after finishing with an 83-79 record and falling short of the postseason for the second consecutive year.
The team improved drastically after a 71-91 finish in 2023, but it wasn't enough to get them back to October baseball.
Even with the team cutting payroll, they could use some help in their starting rotation. Former Cardinal Michael Wacha will be available if he opts out of his deal with the Kansas City Royals.
However, Kerry Miller of Bleacher Report notes that he is projected to land a three-year, $60.9 million deal, per Spotrac, which makes a reunion with St. Louis unlikely.
At three years and $60.9 million, Wacha's average annual value would sit at $20.3 million, and it's highly unlikely that St. Louis will be willing to spend that much on a starter, especially if they plan to cut payroll.
What's more likely is that they'll target a cheaper option. Perhaps they could look into Shane Bieber and give him a deal similar to what the Milwaukee Brewers gave right-hander Brandon Woodruff last offseason.
To cut payroll, they may trade players such as Sonny Gray, Willson Contreras, Nolan Arenado, and Ryan Helsley away. Helsley is due for a raise in arbitration, and the other three are veterans on expensive deals.
But even so, Wacha is likely going to be out of the Cardinals' price range. He has been one of Major League Baseball's most effective pitchers since 2022, and his value will certainly increase this offseason.
He would be a solid addition for St. Louis, but they likely won't cough up the money necessary to bid for his services.
It will be interesting to see where he might land and what St. Louis will do this offseason if they decide to target a starter in free agency.
More MLB: Cardinals toughest offseason decision centers around replacing slugger
