Cardinals Interested In Jake Odorizzi

Frankie Montas has been the title most connected to the Cardinals of their pitching search, but St. Louis has additionally been exploring different rotation choices.  The Playing cards and Astros have mentioned the opportunity of a commerce involving veteran righty Jake Odorizzi, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch experiences.  As well as, such names as Noah Syndergaard and Nathan Eovaldi have been “a minimum of mentioned internally” by the Cardinals’ entrance workplace as attainable targets.

Odorizzi has been on the Playing cards’ radar for a while, because the membership thought-about signing the right-hander as a free agent through the 2020-21 offseason.  As a substitute, Odorizzi signed a two-year take care of Houston price $23.25MM in assured cash, with the 2023 season additionally coated by way of a $6.25MM participant possibility with a $3.25MM buyout.  Quite a lot of accidents have restricted Odorizzi to 157 2/3 innings over his two years with the Astros, however he has posted a 4.22 ERA regardless of solely a 19.5% strikeout charge.  The righty has relied on above-average stroll charges and (in 2022) an excellent hard-contact charge to retire batters.

Buying Odorizzi would have some echoes of the Playing cards’ deadline strikes final yr, after they landed veterans Jon Lester, J.A. Happ, and Wade LeBlanc within the wake of a number of rotation accidents.  Odorizzi a minimum of has a lot better bottom-line outcomes than that trio did when St. Louis swung these trades, and but the Cardinals’ hope in a turn-around was rewarded, as all three pitched properly and helped the Playing cards attain the wild card sport.

St. Louis followers weren’t overly impressed with the membership’s technique finally yr’s deadline, and given all the opposite huge names linked to the Playing cards in commerce rumors this summer time, touchdown “solely” Odorizzi to deal with the rotation could possibly be once more seen as underwhelming.  Nonetheless, because the A’s are recognized to be asking for a ton for Montas and absolutely the Angels and Pink Sox would need a good return even for leases like Syndergaard or Eovaldi, Odorizzi could possibly be an honest Plan C-type of possibility if the Playing cards really feel the opposite asking costs are too excessive…..or, if the Cardinals direct their prospect capital in the direction of buying somebody like Juan Soto.

Additionally it is attainable that the Cardinals might land a couple of of those pitchers, because the membership has an more and more acute want for rotation depth.  Past Adam Wainwright, Miles Mikolas, Andre Pallante, Dakota Hudson (activated off the 15-day injured checklist right this moment) and Matthew Liberatore comprise the present beginning 5, as Jack Flaherty remains to be weeks away from getting back from shoulder issues.

Steven Matz was supposed to supply some assist when he returned from his personal IL stint final week, besides the left-hander tore his MCL in his return begin.  It isn’t recognized but if Matz will want surgical procedure, but President of baseball operations John Mozeliak informed Goold and different reporters right this moment that there’s solely a “sliver” of an opportunity Matz pitches once more in 2022, and it will likely be “very, very troublesome to get him again this yr.”

Turning to the Astros’ state of affairs, buying and selling Odorizzi would appear like an uncommon transfer for a World Collection contender that theoretically would need as a lot pitching depth as attainable for a deep run by means of October.  Nonetheless, the Astros might really feel they’ve such depth already, with a six-man rotation on the energetic roster, Lance McCullers Jr. on his approach again from the 60-day IL, and another younger arms in reserve within the minors.

To that finish, Houston has reportedly been prepared to debate trades of controllable pitchers with different groups.  Odorizzi doesn’t precisely match that description, after all, however it might look like the Astros could be much more open to transferring a veteran moderately than a longer-term rotation piece like Cristian Javier or Jose Urquidy.