In a rebuilding year where the St. Louis Cardinals defied expectations, the starting rotation's success was a pleasant surprise.

The Cardinals' focus this year was player development, and it has paid off. St. Louis' future looks far brighter now with Jordan Walker, JJ Wetherholt and Riley O'Brien leading the way, and the starting rotation is all but set, except for one spot.

The Cardinals' starting rotation posted a 4.17 ERA, ranking 12th in the league. St. Louis wisely transitioned Kyle Leahy to a starting pitcher role this year, and the 29-year-old excelled, going 10-5 with a 3.66 ERA and 132 strikeouts in 30 starts. Behind Leahy, St. Louis also has Andre Pallante, Michael McGreevy and promising rookie Quinn Matthews. The final rotation spot should still be up in the air with Hunter Dobbins injured and Matthew Liberatore's struggles this season.

St. Louis would "love" to bring in a solid starting pitcher this offseason, according to The Athletic's Jim Bowden, and there are plenty of great options available in free agency. Tarik Skubal headlines the market, but there's little to no chance the Cardinals make a real push for him. Instead, three realistic pitchers the team could pursue are Shane Bieber, Eric Lauer and Brandon Woodruff.

Shane Bieber

Free agency is stacked with veteran pitchers over the age of 30, and Bieber is one of the most talented pitchers available. The 31-year-old is a two-time All-Star and former Cy Young Award winner, but injuries have derailed his career in the past few seasons. When healthy, Bieber has been great, boasting a 3.31 career ERA. With Leahy just one year in as a starter, the Cardinals could use a proven veteran like Bieber, who has plenty of upside, to lead their starting rotation.

Eric Lauer

Lauer fell off after an impressive 2025 season in which he went 9-2 with a 3.18 ERA in 28 games (15 starts), but he still has plenty of potential. The 31-year-old has made many appearances as a starter and out of the bullpen, and would be a solid option to bolster the Cardinals' rotation depth.

With how much Liberatore struggled this year, St. Louis is better off bringing in a player like Lauer to round out its rotation, and if the team calls up one of its top prospects during the season, Lauer could be moved to the bullpen.

Brandon Woodruff

Now, Woodruff would be an interesting option for St. Louis to pursue. Similar to Bieber, the 33-year-old hurler has been plagued by injuries over the past few seasons. Woodruff was on a $22 million qualifying offer from the Milwaukee Brewers, but after missing significant time again this season, his value has diminished. It'd be surprising to see a team give him a long-term contract, so a short-term prove-it deal with the Cardinals would be a great fit.

St. Louis has plenty of top pitching prospects nearing the big leagues, so bringing in a veteran with a 3.10 career ERA on a one-year deal would be great for the team's starting rotation. At the same time, if Woodruff stays healthy next season, the Cardinals could likely flip him at the trade deadline for an even bigger haul than they received for Dustin May.

Chaim Bloom knows the Cardinals aren't ready to compete with some of the league's best teams, but they could be a great destination for a pitcher on a prove-it deal. One way or another, expect St. Louis to bring in another starting pitcher before next season.