The St. Louis Cardinals are entering a pivotal phase as they begin their “retooling” process for the 2025 MLB season. With the 2024 season now behind them and the Los Angeles Dodgers having just claimed the World Series title by beating the New York Yankees in five games, the Cardinals are already making moves to reshape their roster.
In the first 24 hours of the offseason, the Cardinals declined team options for Kyle Gibson, Lance Lynn, and Keynan Middleton for 2025, signaling a shift toward building around their younger players. This means the starting rotation is now in flux, and the team will likely promote from within to fill those spots. Young pitchers like Andre Pallante, who impressed in 2024, and Michael McGreevy, who had a strong finish to the season, are expected to play prominent roles. Other younger arms, including Matthew Liberatore, Tink Hence, Quinn Matthews, Cooper Hjerpe, and Gordon Graceffo, will also be in the mix.
For most teams, relying so heavily on unproven pitchers would be a risky move, but the Cardinals aren’t necessarily focused on contending for 2025. The front office seems more committed to a long-term reset, which could include moving veteran players like Nolan Arenado, Willson Contreras, Sonny Gray, Miles Mikolas, and Steven Matz to make room for younger talent. This raises questions about the team’s immediate competitiveness—though the Cardinals finished 2024 with a respectable 83-79 record, a full-scale rebuild might be unnecessary. The team could still find success in 2025 with the right offseason moves, yet a reset seems to be the priority.
That makes this the ideal time for the Cardinals to target a pitcher like Walker Buehler. After a rocky 2024 season, which followed nearly two full years of recovery from his second Tommy John surgery, Buehler showed flashes of his former self in the postseason. Many thought he wouldn’t even make the Dodgers’ playoff roster, but Buehler rose to the occasion. In Game 3 of the World Series, he delivered a brilliant start—5 innings, 2 hits, 0 earned runs, and 5 strikeouts—helping the Dodgers stifle the Yankees’ potent lineup. He closed out the decisive Game 5, securing his place as a postseason hero and a key contributor to the Dodgers’ championship run. This performance was just the latest chapter in Buehler’s postseason success, solidifying his legacy as one of the best October pitchers in MLB history.
Buehler would be a perfect fit for the Cardinals’ 2025 rotation. While still working his way back to full health, he offers significant upside on a short, low-risk contract. As the Cardinals continue to focus on rebuilding, Buehler represents a low-cost gamble with potentially high rewards. If he performs like an ace, he could provide stability to a rotation that will otherwise be full of uncertainty. If the team struggles and is out of contention by the trade deadline, Buehler could be dealt for prospects, adding further value to the signing.
The Dodgers, with two full rotations returning from injury, may choose to move on from Buehler financially, making him an attractive option for the Cardinals. Signing him would be a savvy, strategic move for a team looking to rebuild on the fly, with a potential ace at a low cost who could either help the team in the short term or be flipped for assets if things don’t pan out.
In a “retooling” phase, this is exactly the type of smart move the Cardinals need to make. Signing Buehler would not only strengthen the 2025 rotation but also serve as a prime example of a low-risk, high-reward acquisition that could pay off in multiple ways—both on the field and in terms of future assets. This is the time for the Cardinals to be smart, strategic, and bold in their offseason decisions.
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