The St. Louis Cardinals should be able to compete for a postseason spot in 2024, but the club still has some question marks.
St. Louis made a serious effort to add pitching this offseason, but the starting rotation still is thin.
The Cardinals recently have been dealing with an injury to ace Sonny Gray which has illuminated this problem even more. Luckily, Gray is progressing well and won't miss much time.
Although this is the case, the Cardinals don't have much depth and any injury could be devastating to the club's success. The Cardinals could still fix this in free agency, though, if they wanted to.
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. The righty reportedly is looking for a two-year deal worth around $20 million, according to USA Today Sport's Bob Nightengale.
"Veteran free-agent starter Mike Clevinger has informed teams that he is seeking a two-year deal in excess of $20 million," Nightengale said.
Clevinger has a career 3.45 ERA in seven seasons and had a 3.77 ERA last season with the Chicago White Sox in 24 starts to go along with a 110-to-40 strikeout-to-walk ratio.
St. Louis still has some wiggle room financially and could make a lot of sense for Clevinger. 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.
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