The St. Louis Cardinals finished below .500 for the third time in the last four years, but they still made a lot of progress on their rebuild and seem to be in a much better place entering 2027 than they were before the 2026 season.
As far as what they will do in the offseason, pitching seems to be the main focus for now. The bullpen could use some work, but adding a starting pitcher might not be a bad idea either. Will Leitch of MLB.com listed five starters that the Cardinals could potentially pursue, and one of them was left-hander Foster Griffin, who spent the season with the Washington Nationals and Cleveland Guardians.
The Nationals certainly got everything they could have wanted out of Griffin, whom they signed for $5.5 million after he spent the previous three seasons pitching in Japan. Griffin only got a brief taste of the Majors before heading overseas, but in his return stateside, he gave the Nats 22 starts with a 3.06 ERA to earn an All-Star nod," Leitch wrote.
"It was just a one-year deal, though, so the Nationals traded him to the Guardians for four prospects. Griffin struggled after the trade (5.19 ERA in nine starts) but proved helpful in the team’s postseason run. He’s basically the opposite of Bubic, with a higher floor but with a lower ceiling. That has a lot of value, though, and Griffin would love to prove he can be durable two seasons in a row."
How Foster Griffin fits in St. Louis
Between the Nationals and Guardians, Griffin won 15 games and posted a 3.60 ERA in 31 starts. He also struck out 158 batters over 172 2/3 innings and posted a 3.3 WAR. He played a big role in getting the Guardians to the American League Championship Series despite his rough second half.
The 31-year-old should be within the Cardinals' price range and could possibly be had on a one or two-year deal as the Cardinals look to beef up their rotation. They aren't going to be big players for Tarik Skubal or Sonny Gray, so Griffin fits what they are looking for and could even be a trade candidate at the deadline if they are out of contention.
He was given a $5.5 million contract for 2026, and he'll likely cost a little more this time around, but St. Louis can afford to make this potential deal happen and have a trusted veteran in the mix.
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