Mark Buehrle had another very fine season for the Toronto Blue Jays, but he may not return to the American League team next year.
In a column about the Jays’ starting pitching options in light of the team’s deal with Marco Estrada, The Toronto Sun’s Bob Elliott writes that “Buehrle will either retire or pitch for the St. Louis Cardinals, his home town team.”
Buehrle will be 37 in March and has talked for a while about stepping away from baseball, but he has continued to pitch in the bigs. Despite his age, he had an excellent 2014, and he went 15-8 with a 3.81 ERA last season. Toronto would love to have him back, but he may be inclined to stay close to where he is from — St. Charles, Missouri.
The Cardinals could have mutual interest in Buehrle, too. They currently have Adam Wainwright, Carlos Martinez, Michael Wacha and Jaime Garcia. With Lance Lynn undergoing Tommy John surgery, they have room for another pitcher. Buehrle could fit their needs.
Forearm bash to Hardball Talk
