The St. Louis Cardinals have a set rotation right now, but they may be looking to shake things up. Rumors popped up today that the team was willing to discuss starters Kyle Lohse and Jake Westbrook in trades, and Cardinals GM John Mozeliak confirmed that the two pitchers were in play to Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
Mozeliak insisted to Strauss that a deal isn't likely and he plans to reach out to both players to explain the team's reasoning. It wouldn't be surprising if the stance is related to the Cardinals' possible interest in pitcher Mark Buehrle. The lefty has spent his entire career with the Chicago White Sox, and while he's relented on the stance this offseason, he once told reporters that the Cardinals were the only team he'd leave Chicago for.
The current rotation in St. Louis is set with Chris Carpenter, Adam Wainwright, Jaime Garcia, Westbrook and Lohse, an impressive group but one that's also quite expensive. While Buehrle is obviously a tantalizing target, it's equally as possible that the team is just interested in shedding some of the salary that's committed to be paid to the rotation's lesser pitchers.
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