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The St. Louis Cardinals, in pursuit of a significant turnaround following an unexpected last-place finish in the NL Central, have shown active interest in Japanese pitcher Yuki Matsui.
Matsui visited St. Louis on Thursday, as reported by Mark Feinsand of MLB Insider on X, formerly Twitter. Matsui is a five-time NPB All-Star and boasts a commendable record of 236 saves with a 2.43 ERA over his 210 seasons with the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles, marking him as a noteworthy free-agent bullpen option.
The Cardinals' quest to overhaul their bullpen has been evident, with the team having already strengthened their pitching lineup through recent trades, bringing in right-hand pitchers Nick Robertson and Victor Santos from the Boston Red Sox. This move has been part of a larger bullpen strategy by the Cardinals to fortify the team's pitching through free agency.
The 2023 season, marked by underperformance and subsequent trades of key players, has set the stage for an aggressive offseason. St. Louis is reportedly also considering Phil Maton of the reigning champion Houston Astros and Jordan Hicks of the Toronto Blue Jays, signaling a comprehensive approach to reshaping their bullpen.
While the MLB world is captivated by the market moves of high-profile free agents like Shohei Ohtani, St. Louis is not idly waiting. Instead, they are actively engaging with talents like Matsui, striving to assemble a competitive roster for the 2024 campaign. The Cardinals, who have a clear need on the mound as indicated by their bottom-tier MLB ERA, are bolstering their team not only with seasoned players but also with expertise off the field, as seen with the addition of Yadier Molina as a special assistant to Mozeliak.
As St. Louis prepares for the upcoming season, the potential signing of Matsui could be a crucial step in their mission to reclaim their standing in the league.
