The St. Louis Cardinals could be preparing to make some serious noise.
The Cardinals are exploring trades for left-handers Cole Hamels and David Price while also considering the possibility of signing free-agent right-hander Max Scherzer, major league sources told FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal and Jon Morosi this week.
St. Louis reportedly isn’t close to landing any of the three hurlers. It’s also possible the Cardinals will decide against adding any of the pitchers because of the price of acquisition. The Cardinals’ reported interest in acquiring an ace is very intriguing, though, as they already have a formidable rotation.
The Cardinals’ current rotation consists of Adam Wainwright, Michael Wacha, Lance Lynn, John Lackey and Carlos Martinez. Marco Gonzales and Jaime Garcia could factor into St. Louis’ 2015 plans, too. But there are a few question marks within the unit, which could be why the team is considering going after an impact arm.
Hamels, Price and Scherzer all are in very different situations. Hamels is under contract with the Philadelphia Phillies for at least four more years, Price is under contract with the Detroit Tigers for one more season and Scherzer is free to sign anywhere. The price for any of the pitchers figures to be high — either in terms of money or prospects — so the Cardinals need to figure out just how badly they’d like to make a splash this offseason.
The Cardinals’ preference reportedly is to add another left-hander, hence their interest in Hamels and Price.
Thumbnail photo via Rick Osentoski/USA TODAY Sports Images
