It has felt for a while like Jake Odorizzi, the top free agent left on the market, would wind up heading to the Cardinals on a bargain deal. The fit and need were obvious, and also I’m just paranoid like that.
But with the Astros suffering a serious injury in the rotation, they got aggressive to get Odorizzi in the door:
Right-hander Jake Odorizzi and the Houston Astros are in agreement on a two-year deal with a player option, a source familiar with the deal tells ESPN. The last big free agent is off the board.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) March 6, 2021
Odorizzi seems like he still has some really sizable untapped upside, so I’m glad it wasn’t the Cardinals.