The St. Louis Cardinals could use at least one more starting pitcher this offseason ahead of the 2027 campaign.
As of writing, Kyle Leahy, Andre Pallante and Michael McGreevy should all be viewed as locks for the 2027 rotation. Quinn Mathews is someone who thrived down the stretch and very well could earn himself a spot in it as well, but there's no guarantee. That will likely come down to Spring Training. The same should be true about Matthew Liberatore. Then, from there, it's anyone's guess who could be in the mix for a spot.
There are elite prospects in the organization, including Liam Doyle, Tanner Franklin and Jurrangelo Cijntje. But are any going to be ready for the majors out of Spring Training? Maybe. But also, maybe not. Regardless, this winter St. Louis should be in the market for another veteran and the Boston Red Sox are the perfect team to target in the trade market.
Last offseason, the Cardinals and Red Sox got very familiar with one another. They completed two separate deals with Willson Contreras and Sonny Gray both going to Boston. There were also rumors that Boston was interested in a third deal involving Brendan Donovan. The two sides clearly know each other well. Boston has two starters who would be intriguing buy-low options in Tanner Houck and Kutter Crawford.
The Cardinals Should Call Boston Again
Houck has higher upside of the two, but has just one more season of control left. Crawford hasn't pitched in a big league game since 2024, which obviously isn't great, but he has two seasons of control left.
When it comes to Houck, he was an All-Star in 2024 in the last season in which he was fully healthy. He logged a 3.12 ERA in 30 starts across 178 2/3 innings of work. In 2025, he clearly was hurting coming into the season and made just nine starts before his season was cut short. Then, he missed the entire 2026 season, aside from the regular season finale. Now, he's healthy and an extra year removed from his injury. Plus, the 2027 season will be a contract year for him, so he needs to build his value.
Houck is the type of hurler who likely wouldn't cost too much in the trade market, but could have a very big impact. If he were to look like the 2024 version of himself, he'd not only be a weapon for the Cardinals' rotation, but he'd be a very good trade deadline chip as well. The Red Sox are a team that needs some power. Why not try to throw Nolan Gorman at them and see if that gets Boston's front office interested?
When it comes to Crawford, he'd be more of a project. He had a 4.36 ERA in a league-leading 33 starts in 2024, but hasn't pitched in a big league game since. His trade value should be almost nothing at this point. But, if healthy, he'd improve the back end of the rotation, if he looked like the 2024 version of himself.
The Cardinals could use a hurler and the Red Sox have extra. Plus, they already know each other well. Why not come back to the table this winter?
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