The St. Louis Cardinals exceeded expectations this season, but that doesn't mean they'll make big offseason splashes.

St. Louis' season was highlighted by the development of stars like JJ Wetherholt and Jordan Walker, and although the team is not ready to compete for a championship, it has a lot of young talent. The Cardinals have a few clear roster holes to address during the offseason, primarily on the pitching side.

The Cardinals' starting rotation was surprisingly good this year, ranking No. 12 in the league with a 4.17 ERA. St. Louis' rotation still needs a front-end starter, and with all the young pitchers nearing the big leagues, the team could use a talented veteran. The Cardinals likely won't be big spenders in free agency, but one interesting pitcher they should pursue is 14-year veteran Kevin Gausman.

Gausman would be a good buy-low candidate

"Gausman is no longer a top-of-the-rotation starter, but he can still log innings in the middle or back end of a rotation and can serve as a mentor for younger starters," Jim Bowden of The Athletic wrote on Tuesday. "He split this season between the Blue Jays and the Cubs and posted a 4.51 ERA in 177 2/3 innings, yielding more hits than innings pitched for the first time in four years. It was his highest ERA in seven seasons.

"His split-fingered fastball is still effective and hitters will chase that and the fastball, but he gave up more hard contact with both pitches last season than the year before and his slider hasn’t been effective the past two seasons."

Gausman, 35, had his worst year pitching since 2019, posting a 4.51 ERA across 32 starts with the Toronto Blue Jays and Chicago Cubs, but he is still a durable hurler who could make an impact for the Cardinals. The 14-year veteran is still a two-time All-Star who has made 30 or more starts in each of the past six seasons.

St. Louis' starting rotation will likely be comprised of Kyle Leahy, Andre Pallante, Michael McGreevy, Quinn Matthews and Matthew Liberatore, though Liberatore is questionable after his struggles this year. The Cardinals have top pitching prospects nearing the big leagues, but with the team not ready to compete yet, signing a pitcher like Gausman could be great in the short term.

Gausman would give the Cardinals a reliable, durable veteran starter and would also be an interesting free agent whom the team could trade at the deadline to bolster their farm system.