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The St. Louis Cardinals went into this offseason looking to fortify their pitching staff following a disastrous 71-91 season in 2023. However, even after team president John Mozeliak delivered on three veteran starters from the free agent market, the club is still searching for more depth in their rotation.
Manager Oliver Marmol went from first to worst in his two seasons thus far with the Redbirds. Most of what caused the wheels to fall off was a pitching staff that registered a 4.79 team ERA last season. That was supposed to be remedied by the arrival of right-handers Lance Lynn, Kyle Gibson, and AL Cy Young runner-up, Sonny Gray.
However, Gray recently suffered a strained hamstring early in spring training, and will not make his scheduled opening day start. Instead, 2023 holdover Miles Mikolas will take the mound on March 28 against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
With Gray not getting out of the gate, there’s been plenty of speculation around Major League Baseball that the Birds will try to grab a starter that’s still on the market to add depth to the rotation. Sports Illustrated columnist Patrick McAvoy suggested that free agent Mike Clevinger would fill the bill – in terms of a quality arm and an affordable salary.
Mike Clevinger is Affordable if the Cardinals are Interested
Although Sonny Gray isn’t expected to miss much time, the consensus among baseball insiders is that the team needs depth behind their front five. The Cardinals rotation – consisting of Gray, Lynn, Mikolas, Gibson, and lefthander Steve Matz – has an average age of 34.6 years entering 2024. So, there’s a concern that those greybeards could break down during a 162-game season.
McAvoy wrote, “St. Louis made a serious effort to add pitching this offseason, but the starting rotation still is thin.”
“There are multiple players still available who could help while not breaking the bank. One player who fits this description well is veteran starter Mike Clevinger.”
“St. Louis still has some wiggle room financially and could make a lot of sense for Clevinger,” McAvoy asserted. “Luckily, Gray should return soon, but the club is one injury away from disaster again.
“It could never hurt to add more depth — especially someone of Clevinger’s caliber — if the club truly wants to get back on track in 2024.”
Clevinger had a Strange 2023 Season with the White Sox
Mike Clevinger has had solid statistics throughout his seven-year MLB career. The righty has a career 3.45 ERA and had a 3.77 ERA last season with the Chicago White Sox in 24 starts.
However, in late August, he was placed on waivers by the White Sox but was not claimed by any other team. He became a free agent after the 2023 season but hasn’t garnered the interest that a pitcher with a career record of 60-39 would normally receive.
Despite all this, the Cardinals may want to hurry if they’re going to make a move on the veteran starter. USA Today Sports columnist Bob Nightengale recently posted on social media that the White Sox may consider re-signing him at a discounted price.
“Now that the Chicago White Sox traded Dylan Cease and Michael Kopech is being moved to the bullpen, they are internally discussing the possibility of bringing back free-agent starter Mike Clevinger,” Nightengale wrote. “Clevinger was their most consistent starter last year: 9-9 with a 3.77 ERA.”
There’s still a chance that the Cardinals stand pat and go into the year with what they have. But Gray’s injury has only highlighted that they need an extra arm. For his price tag and his past success, Mike Clevinger could certainly fit that role.
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