The St. Louis Cardinals have made significant moves early on in free agency to ensure they don’t repeat their last-place finish in the 2023 season. They signed Kyle Gibson, Lance Lynn, and the ace Sonny Gray, who finished second in the American League’s Cy Young Award voting. The team struggled in 2023 due to their pitching, allowing 5.12 runs per game, better only than two non-contenders.
Their new signings will provide necessary depth and quality innings. Gray had a successful 2023 season, with over 5 WAR, and is expected to continue at a high level. The Cardinals signed him to a three-year deal worth $25 million a year. The team is optimistic about their pitching prospects for 2024.
The Detroit Tigers also made a move by signing former Twins starter Kenta Maeda to a two-year deal. Despite missing the 2022 season due to injury, Maeda performed well in the second half of the 2023 season. If he continues at that level, he could be a valuable addition to the Tigers’ rotation.
On the other hand, the Twins have lost two of their starting pitchers from the 2023 season and are now in search of replacements to bolster their rotation. They have some position player depth that they could potentially use in a trade for pitching.
Overall, the MLB offseason is off to an exciting start with these early moves by teams.
