Could Kyle Lohse become an option for the Cardinals?

Meet Kyle Lohse - the man without a team.


With Spring Training already underway, there has been absolutely no buzz regarding Lohse signing with a team.  In fact, most of the buzz has been teams denying interest in Lohse.  So far, the Rangers have denied interest, the Rockies are not a fit, the Cubs are not a fit, the Pirates are not interested, the Braves are not interested,  you can count the Phillies out, and the Nationals, Angels, Brewers, Red Sox and Cardinals are all distancing themselves from Lohse.

It seems kinda hard to believe that a pitcher who went 16-3 with a 2.86 ERA last year would have difficulty finding a job.  But, considering he's tied to draft pick compensation and owns a career 4.45 ERA in the majors, you can understand why some teams would hesitate to give him a 3 or 4 year deal.

Despite the loss of Chris Carpenter, Cardinals GM John Mozeliak said he doesn't expect to add starting pitching.  However, could that change if Shelby Miller's shoulder discomfort turns out to be something more serious or if the rookies do not impress during spring games?

With questions already surrounding incumbents Lance Lynn and Jaime Garcia, maybe it would make sense to bring back Lohse on a one-year deal.  Perhaps if the Cards agree not to make a qualifying offer to Lohse after the 2013 season, they could get a significant discount.

In this way, they could improve their pitching depth and help bridge the gap to the youngsters.

Just something for the Cardinals brass to consider as we head to the start of spring games on Saturday.