The St. Louis Cardinals could use a veteran starting pitcher and a very intriguing one was floated as a fit for the organization on Thursday.

The Athletic's Tim Britton, Johnny Flores Jr. and Chad Jennings shared a column highlighting the top 40 free agents available while projecting contracts and best fits. The Cardinals popped up among the best fits for Tampa Bay Rays All-Star Nick Martinez, along with four others.

"The good news: Martinez made his first All-Star team, earned some potential down-ballot Cy Young votes, served as an excellent No. 2 for a pennant-winner, and burnished his reputation as one of the game’s great teammates. The bad news: Boy that strikeout rate is eye-opening in the wrong way. ...
Best fits: [Atlanta Braves], [Miami Marlins], [San Diego Padres], STL, [Washington Nationals]."

Why Nick Martinez Is A Good Fit For St. Louis

The Cardinals have a very young team. In fact, St. Louis' roster is the youngest in baseball right now with an average age of 25.9 years old. It's great to have young guys throughout a roster, but you also need a few veterans to show them how to get through an entire season. Martinez would be a good get from that perspective. Martinez is 36 years old and is a nine-year big league veteran.

Martinez had the best season of his big league career in 2026. He logged a 3.10 ERA and a 109-to-26 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 180 innings pitched. It's important to note that Martinez's professional baseball career hasn't been all sunshine and rainbows. Martinez didn't pitch in the majors from 2018 through 2021 and was in Japan instead. He returned to the majors in 2022 and his career turned around. Since then, he has logged a 3.53 ERA in 223 total appearances. In comparison, he had a 4.77 ERA across his first four seasons in the majors in 88 appearances.

Martinez has been great on the mound over the last few years. The fact that he has been able to battle through adversity to get to this point in the first place would make him a great veteran to have around the young guys throughout St. Louis' roster. Things aren't always going to be easy. Look at Jordan Walker's first few seasons, for example. But it's possible to turn things around late, as Martinez has done.

If the Cardinals signed him, Martinez would give St. Louis a frontline starter that it currently lacks. The Cardinals would also put an important veteran voice in the clubhouse, which would be for the best with such a young roster. At the end of the day, this is the exact type of move St. Louis should make.