The St. Louis Cardinals will soon begin the offseason and continue their rebuild under president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom. There have been some positive early signs for this team. They remained in contention until the final week of the season and had wild card hopes deep into the month of September.
This offseason, they might be in a better position to add some players to their roster, and they could certainly use a starting pitcher on a similar deal to what they gave Dustin May. If not May himself, perhaps the best option would be former American League Cy Young winner Shane Bieber.
How Shane Bieber Would Fit St. Louis Cardinals Needs
Bieber won his Cy Young award in 2020. The Cardinals took a chance on May last offseason after he had multiple seasons plagued by injuries. But they ultimately got what they needed out of him and packaged him with JoJo Romero to the Milwaukee Brewers for a solid haul of prospects.
Perhaps the same thing could be done with Bieber. He is looking to rebuild his value, just as May was, and if he bounces back to his old form, the Cardinals could ship him to a contender at the trade deadline for another strong package of prospects.
It should not take more than a one-year deal to land Bieber at this point in his career, especially given all the injuries he has had. But he is barely over 30 years old and still has plenty of upside, so the Cardinals might be wise to take a chance on him.
Any deal for him might also include an option of some sort. The deal St. Louis gave May includes a mutual option for 2027, and it remains to be seen if the Brewers will pick that up.
That could potentially work for Bieber as well. Any contract should be relatively team-friendly for St. Louis as they look to improve their starting rotation. The rotation was serviceable this year, but Bieber is still a proven commodity and would be a good option to fill a hole.
What are St. Louis Cardinals’ Offseason Needs?
Beyond the rotation, there are other needs St. Louis could look to address. The bullpen is one area that could use some work, and they could also potentially find a short-term solution at third base while they wait for prospects Jesus Baez and Rainiel Rodriguez to move up through the system.
Bieber is somebody that could improve the depth of the pitching staff and give a young clubhouse a veteran voice to lean on as the team continues its rebuild and focuses on the future.
That was essentially the role that May filled in St. Louis as the veteran of the staff, so Bieber could be the next potential option to do that.
One thing the Cardinals will have to be aware of is that he has had several arm injuries over the past few years. They’ll need him to prove he can eat innings and stay healthy for a full season.
Former Cy Young Winner Makes Sense for Cardinals on ‘Prove-It’ Deal