John Mozeliak uses his phone in the dugout before the Pittsburgh Pirates host the Cardinals at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
Cardinals Rumors: St. Louis talking extension with Yadier Molina
The St. Louis Cardinals are looking for pitching and while they are likely to make a trade, are said to be looking at veteran lefty Cole Hamels.
In an ideal world, the St. Louis Cardinals will acquire at least one starting pitcher before the trade deadline. President of baseball operations John Mozeliak has even said so on the record. But while many have assumed that any addition could come over trade, the free agent market still remains a possibility.
Veteran left-handed pitcher Cole Hamels recently held a showcase and the Cardinals were among the teams in attendance, according to Katie Woo of The Athletic.
There are rumblings that Hamels wants to sign soon, perhaps before the July 30 trade deadline, which could allow the Cardinals to land arms in multiple avenues. But any potential Hamels addition should not prevent them from adding another arm or two at the deadline.
Hamels has pitched in only one game since 2019 and has fought through multiple injuries in recent years. He has not pitched against hitters, which is a concern for some teams, and would need a significant amount of time to ramp up before being game ready. If anything, the Cardinals are looking at him as someone who could pitch out of the bullpen while having the upside of pitching out of the rotation in 2022.
Hamels, however, would give them another left-handed arm out of the bullpen, something they could use alongside Andrew Miller and Genesis Cabrera. Hamels would also provide another player with a playoff pedigree, which could be helpful as they look to catch up to the Milwaukee Brewers in the NL Central and compete for a World Series.
It would not be surprising to see Hamels sign soon. And if the Cardinals are looking for another lottery ticket to help the pitching staff, something they have done a couple times already, they could do a lot worse than Hamels.