The St. Louis Cardinals exceeded expectations this season despite being in a rebuilding year, but they likely won't break the bank in free agency this offseason.

St. Louis' starting rotation was a surprising strength for the team, ranking 12th in the league with a 4.17 ERA. Kyle Leahy excelled in his first season as a starting pitcher, going 10-5 with a 3.66 ERA and 132 strikeouts in 30 starts. Behind him, the Cardinals also have Quinn Matthews, who showed a lot of promise in his rookie season, as well as Michael McGreevy and Andre Pallante, who were both key pieces of the team's starting rotation.

After trading away Dustin May to the Milwaukee Brewers at the trade deadline and losing Hunter Dobbins to Tommy John surgery, St. Louis' top option for its last starting rotation spot is Matthew Liberatore. Liberatore, 27, has made 60 starts for the Cardinals over the past two seasons, but durability is basically all he's had going for him.

The Cardinals want to bring in another starting pitcher

Though the Cardinals are still in the middle of a rebuild, The Athletic's Jim Bowden recently reported that the team would like to bring in a solid starter to lead their rotation this offseason, which could be bad news for Liberatore, leaving his spot up in the air.

"The Cardinals are going to continue to build their team through amateur scouting and player development for the long haul, but at the same time they are going to try to find upgrades for the bullpen and would really like to bring in a solid starting pitcher who could help lead the staff," Bowden wrote on Tuesday. "They’re also interested in a left-handed-hitting left side of the infield role player to better balance the right-handed-hitting Masyn Winn, Thomas Saggese, Blaze Jordan and Jose Fermin."

Liberatore has had plenty of opportunities to secure a spot in St. Louis' starting rotation, but has continued to struggle. The five-year veteran hurler made 31 starts this season, going 6-14 with a 5.23 ERA and a career-high 154 strikeouts. Despite being a durable pitcher, Liberatore has yet to establish himself as a quality starter.

St. Louis has a few solid pitching prospects nearing the big leagues, but acquiring a talented veteran for this season could be a great idea. The Cardinals could sign a veteran pitcher with potential to a short-term deal, like Shane Bieber, whom the team could flip at the trade deadline. One way or another, it would be surprising to see the team not bring in another pitcher to at least compete with Liberatore for the final starting rotation spot.