Griffin Canning pitched for the New York Mets in 2025.
According to a new report from Jon Heyman of the New York Post, the St. Louis Cardinals are interested in rehabbing free agent starting pitcher Griffin Canning, who spent the 2025 campaign with the New York Mets.
The Mets have shown interest in bringing back Griffin Canning, who should be ready around Opening Day after suffering an Achilles tear last year. The Cardinals and White Sox also are interested.
About Canning
Now 29 years old, Canning is a six-year veteran of the Los Angeles Angels and Mets. He's gone 32-37 in his career with a 4.65 ERA. He had a career-high seven wins in 2023, and again in 2025 before getting hurt. He was 7-3 with a 3.77 ERA in 16 starts for the Mets. He hasn't traditionally struck out a lot of batters, but he had 70 Ks in 76.1 innings a season ago, signaling that perhaps he's unlocked more swing-and-miss stuff.
Why would the Cardinals be interested?
The Cardinals could be interested in a veteran innings-eater to help keep the pressure off young prospects like Quinn Matthews and Liam Doyle. Even though it's unclear exactly when he'd be able to return to a big-league rotation, he should be able to provide good cover for those prospects. The Cardinals may be able to trade him for a prospect at the trade deadline, or perhaps they could ink him to a multi-year deal, allowing him to rehab and work through things in 2026, while flipping him at some point in 2027.
Why would Canning be interested?
The Cardinals are rebuilding, but they should be able to provide Canning with opportunities to rebuild his value. If he's looking for a promised rotation spot and an opportunity to impress people ahead of 2027, he could take a one-year deal in St. Louis. He could also end up being dealt to a contender at the deadline, giving him a chance to win a World Series.
Griffin Canning with the Mets (Brad Penner-Imagn Images).About the Cardinals rotation as is
Matthew Liberatore, Dustin May and Andre Pallante are assured rotation spots, with Richard Fitts and Hunter Dobbins likely serving as options once they are recovered from their 2025 injuries. Beyond them, Doyle and Matthews are waiting.
The one that could impact Canning negatively? Perhaps there's too many variables, too many prospects and too many possibilities in the rotation as is. Maybe the rotation spot isn't guaranteed all year, which could scare him to an organization with more security.
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