As the winter meetings get going in Orlando, Fla., most of the conversation around the St. Louis Cardinals has been about who they will trade away in the coming weeks.

However, according to Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, the Cardinals also have a “buying” list, and not just a “selling” list.

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The Cardinals still want to add a starter, possibly two, from outside the organization, according to sources familiar with their plans. They intend to pursue a free-agent starter, though at the GM Meetings the Cardinals explained they needed to make moves elsewhere on the roster before bidding. Bloom has described this offseason his interest in adding a veteran starter to the rotation and a veteran reliever to the bullpen, even with the focus on youth.

After trading away Sonny Gray, the Cardinals only really have three guaranteed starters for 2026 at the moment: Andre Pallante, Matthew Liberatore, and Michael McGreevy.

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The recently-traded for Richard Fitts should slot in, and prospect Quinn Matthews could take the fifth spot, but the answers for Oli Marmol’s team are slim right now.

Simply put, a veteran starter who is capable of eating innings can help provide a buffer between the pressure of the rotation and prospects like McGreevy and Matthews. A veteran starter could also serve as a mentor for younger pitchers on the staff. Two starters, as Goold noted, could provide double the impact.

We told you that Chaim Bloom was going to recreate what he did when he took over the Boston Red Sox. He’s going to do what he can to remain competitive at the big-league level, while thinking through a long-term lens. He will be interested in signing players to one-year deals, knowing that they can provide leadership and help the wins-and-losses in 2026, and that they can also become trade assets at the next deadline.

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With the Red Sox, he signed veterans like Martin Perez and Garrett Richards to short-term deals. Beyond that, he will try to maximize the MLB Draft, the Rule-5 Draft, minor league free agency and any other method of acquiring talent.

Alex Cobb, Jon Gray, Tomoyuki Sugano, Patrick Corbin, Austin Gomber, and Perez himself could all fit the above mold. It’s a reciprocal relationship, as the players get a chance to remain starters, and the Cardinals get the aforementioned benefits.

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