The St. Louis Cardinals have a need for pitching this offseason, but the moves they make must still be appropriate for their rebuild, which means nothing crazy is going to happen . But Chaim Bloom can still be active before the lockout starts.

The starting rotation held up its end of the bargain for most of the season, even without Sonny Gray, but adding a high-upside starter, similar to what they did with Dustin May last offseason could be a good approach. Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch has an idea for who that might be.

"Right-hander Casey Mize is arguably the next best short-term upside play," Goold wrote.

"Shane Bieber and two pitchers with past Cardinals ties, Jack Flaherty and Zac Gallen, are other starters looking for rebound opportunities."

Casey Mize's fit with St. Louis

Sep 25, 2026; San Diego, California, USA; San Diego Padres pitcher Casey Mize (32) delivers during the second inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Petco Park.…