Though the St. Louis Cardinals are entering a slight rebuild, fans can at least take solace in the fact that both Sonny Gray and Willson Contreras will be staying put.
The team likely won't make any major additions in free agency and will not only look to build from within, but potentially even trade away some players.
But that doesn't mean that it will be a quiet offseason. Tim Britton, Chad Jennings and Aaron Gleeman of The Athletic recently linked St. Louis to injured Cleveland Guardians ace Shane Bieber.
"Bieber appeared to be back to his Cy Young-winning form by beginning the season with a 20-to-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio over 12 scoreless innings, but that came to a screeching halt with Tommy John surgery in mid-April. His rehab will likely stretch into next season, so Bieber might have to choose between a short-term deal driven by incentives or a longer-term deal for a discounted annual salary."
Bieber only made two starts this season before landing on the injured list, and he obviously won't be back right away in 2025. But with Sonny Gray already in their rotation, it might make sense for the Cardinals to take a look at Bieber and see if they can bolster their starting rotation.
Bieber and Gray at the top of the rotation could give the Cardinals a better chance to compete for a spot in the postseason, even in the midst of their rebuild.
Though Bieber won't be back right away, his return could give St. Louis a major boost down the stretch if they are in the postseason race. If not, he could be a trade candidate that may fetch a solid return at the deadline.
It will be interesting to see what Bieber's market looks like. St. Louis would make sense for him, as they likely wouldn't be signing him to a long-term contract given his recent injury history.
He should be quite affordable in his current state, especially for a team looking to cut payroll.
More MLB: Cardinals' 10-time Gold Glover reportedly open to a change of scenery
