Breaking: Cardinals Are Closing In On A Deal To Sign $21 Million Former All-Star Pitcher
The St. Louis Cardinals had to start over in the summer after finishing last in the National League Central in 2023. This meant that in order to get the team to a 71-91 record, team president John Mozeliak would need to rebuild a pitching staff with an ERA of 4.79 as a whole. It was only the third time since 1918 that St. Louis ended in the bottom, and it was the team’s poorest result since 1990.
Pitching was the Redbirds’ top priority when they first started. Sonny Gray, Lance Lynn, and Kyle Gibson, three seasoned right-handers, were added to the rotation to replace holdovers Mile Mikolas and Steven Matz. Gray’s 2023 AL Cy Young run with the Minnesota Twins led to his being hailed as the ace and the team’s first-day starter. But he injured his hamstring during spring training, so it’s unlikely that he’ll be ready for his planned debut.
Because of this, there has been a lot of conjecture in the media and among fans that St. Louis is searching for a starting free agent who isn’t too expensive. Not only have they shown no interest in banished star Trevor Bauer, but they are also thought to be out of the running for elite pitchers like Jordan Montgomery or Blake Snell.
That leaves Noah Syndergaard, a pitcher who was recently mentioned as potentially being on the Cardinals’ radar. According to a prominent journal, it would be worthwhile to investigate the former ace.
Syndergaard’s Stats Stand Up
Pitchers like Syndergaard are probably being watched by teams who would be willing to take a chance on a former All-Star at a very low cost.
Even though the fireballer had seen some hardships over the previous several seasons, as recently as 2019, he was averaging 97.7 mph on his fastball. All of that culminated in him posting the lowest numbers of his career last year. With a staggering 6.50 ERA in 2023, the struggling pitcher pitched for the Cleveland Guardians and Los Angeles Dodgers.
When he was finally assigned in late August, many people thought that his career may be coming to an end.
Noah Syndergaard was regretfully quoted as stating, “I would give away my hypothetical firstborn to be the old me,” because things became so terrible in the previous season.
He hasn’t given up hope entirely, though. Noah Syndergaard, who goes by “Thor” in baseball circles because of his long, blond hair, says he has more to give in Major League Baseball. In 2024, he hopes to mount a significant return.
Is Noah Syndergaard an Option for the St. Louis Cardinals?
Syndergaard most definitely conforms to the image of an experienced reclamation project that the Cards have built their reputation around over the previous few decades. The righty is a veteran with a cheap price tag who has the ability to be very productive for a small income.
A franchise that has continuously kept its overall player salary well below $200 million would find that appealing. It is already anticipated that the team would pay out roughly $170 million in payroll in 2024, so there isn’t much space for big-name additions.
According to a recent piece by Patrick McAvoy of Sports Illustrated, Noah Syndergaard would be the “ideal fit” to give the struggling Redbird rotation some depth.
McAvoy stated, “There’s no doubt the fireballer could be a cheap, insurance option to add more depth to the Cardinals’ rotation.” “St. Louis has the financial means to hire Syndergaard if it decides to move forward again.”
Regarding the Cardinals, Mozeliak states he is considering all of his alternatives, which might include a player similar to the former ace of the Dodgers and Mets. He hasn’t yet designated “Thor” as his precise target, though. Not quite yet, anyhow.
But, it wouldn’t be shocking to see the Cards give Noah Syndergaard a chance if Gray’s arm issues persist and the team finds themselves with any more broken wings. There’s not much left to lose at this point.
