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Sep 5, 2023; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; A detailed view of the hat and glove of St. Louis Cardinals second baseman Nolan Gorman (not pictured) before a game against the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Cardinals Linked To 31-Year-Old Attempting MLB Comeback

Originally posted on St. Louis Cardinals on SI
By Patrick McAvoy | Last updated Nov 17, 2025 7:00 PM ET

The St. Louis Cardinals need some more starting pitching this offseason with the rotation completely up in the air for the 2026 season.

Luckily, the organization has a few months to try to add pieces. We're at a point in the offseason in which rumors, speculation, and predictions dominate the airways. St. Louis isn't a team that has been discussed a lot when it comes to adding pieces because the first order of business is trading expensive veterans away.

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But, Chaim Bloom has indicated that the club wants more pitching and there will be options out there worth looking into, even in free agency. Now, if you're a Cardinals fan, you shouldn't expect the club to go out and hand a nine-figure deal to a starter. That's just not where the Cardinals are right now. But, getting creative and taking a flyer on a veteran on a low-money deal wouldn't hurt. That should be the way to go. CBS Sports' R.J. Anderson floated an intriguing name for the Cardinals: right-handed pitcher Cody Ponce.

The Cardinals should consider this idea

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"RHP Cody Ponce," Anderson wrote. "Potential suitors: Padres, Mets, Cardinals. Ponce, 32 come April, will return stateside after spending a few years overseas, first in Japan and then in South Korea. He'll look nothing like he did during his first 20 career MLB appearances. These days, he's capable of touching into the upper-90s with his heater and throws, among other secondaries, a quality splitter.

"There are enough KBO-to-MLB pitching success stories -- ranging from someone with staying power, in Merrill Kelly, to more fleeting cases, like Erick Fedde and Chris Flexen -- to envision a team giving Ponce a rotation spot on a multi-year pact to demonstrate where he lands on that spectrum."

Ponce hasn't pitched in a big league game since 2021, but has had success since in Japan and South Korea and has drawn big league interest. He pitched for the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters in 2022 and 2023 before joining the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles for the 2024 season. In 2025, he joined the Hanwha Eagles in the KBO League.

Ponce made 29 starts in 2025 and had a 1.89 ERA in 180 2/3 innings pitched. This is a guy who should absolutely be considered. If he comes back over this offseason, he likely won't be very expensive. He hasn't been in the majors in a long time. But, his recent performance in Japan and South Korea makes him interesting.

If the Cardinals were to sign him and he could carry that momentum over to the big leagues, then maybe St. Louis finds a multi-year option on a cheap deal. If he does well and the Cardinals struggle, he could be a candidate to be signed and eventually traded. When the Cardinals acquired Erick Fedde in 2024, that's the strategy the Chicago White Sox had. They signed Fedde to a two-year deal and then he was an attractive trade chip when he performed well coming back over to the big leagues from South Korea, leading to the St. Louis trade.

To sum up, this is a good idea from Anderson. Ponce isn't a big-name player by any means, but there's intrigue based on his performance in Japan and South Korea. He likely wouldn't cost much, so if he struggled, it wouldn't kill the payroll. If he did well then either the Cardinals look smart, or they can trade him.

This article first appeared on St. Louis Cardinals on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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