Cardinals rumors: Kyle Lohse 'doesn't make much sense'

While he doesn’t want to close the door on a possible reunion, St. Louis Cardinals general manager John Mozeliak told Tim McKernan of KFNS-590 radio that re-signing veteran right-hander Kyle Lohse "doesn’t make much sense" for the team:

Mozeliak on the chance of Lohse coming back: I hate to close doors...just because you never know...but it doesn't make much sense for us.

— Tim McKernan (@tmckernan) January 11, 2013

Lohse has spent the past five seasons with the Cardinals after signing as a free agent in 2008. During his time in St. Louis, the right-hander has maintained an ERA of 3.90 with 5.6 strikeouts and 2.2 walks per nine innings.

Last year, Lohse turned in a performance that garnered National League Cy Young consideration. Over 33 starts, spanning 211 innings, he posted a 2.86 ERA with 6.1 SO/9 and 1.6 BB/9.

Still, the Cardinals were willing to let him hit the open market following the end of the season, as they are comfortable with their starting pitching depth. It doesn’t appear that anything has changed in the Cardinals’ thinking, as Mozeliak still doesn’t seem to think a reunion makes sense for St. Louis.

There was thought that Lohse would fetch a hefty multi-year contract this winter, but he remains a free agent into January. There’s a chance he finds a long-term agreement before all is said and done, but he could also be forced to settle on a one- or two-year deal given the lack of interest expressed thus far.