The St. Louis Cardinals aren't a team that typically spends big in free agency. It's a rare occurrence for sure, and they only do it when the fit is clear. The last time they signed a free agent worth more than $100 million was Matt Holliday in 2010.

Their rebuild has gone according to plan thus far, with a lot of pitching depth being assembled at the minor league level. They might be more active in free agency this winter, and strangely, David Schoenfield of ESPN lists them as a possible fit for Tarik Skubal.

"The Cardinals haven't signed a $100 million free agent since re-signing Matt Holliday in 2010, so this type of move would be out of character for them, but president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom has built a young roster with all kinds of payroll flexibility to make a big splash," Schoenfield wrote. "According to Cot's Contracts, the Cardinals' estimated 2027 payroll sits at $66 million and the only long-term deal on the books is for JJ Wetherholt. Skubal is the kind of risk they can afford -- and need -- to take."

However, there's one problem.

Tarik Skubal fit comes with a catch

The catch here is that the Cardinals are rebuilding and not quite ready to contend. Skubal is likely going to want to pitch for a contending team. Also, as mentioned earlier, this would be out of character for St. Louis.

They aren't a team that likes to dish out long-term contracts unless the fit is right. Skubal would undoubtedly make the Cardinals a better team, but now just isn't the time for moves like that.

Instead of chasing aces in free agency, the Cardinals need to start developing their own, and with Liam Doyle and Jurrangelo Cijintje in the system, that could happen very soon.

The only conceivable way St. Louis could sign Skubal is if he is by some chance willing to sign a short-term contract with opt-outs and a high dollar amount, and even then, he likely would prefer to pitch for a contender.

So, fans shouldn't get their hopes up about the two-time Cy Young coming to St. Louis this offseason. They'll likely search for starters trying to rebuild their value this offseason. Think Shane Bieber or potentially even a reunion with Dustin May.

There's no guarantee a long-term contract would work out, and it's much safer for them to develop their own arms and follow in the footsteps of the World Series champion Milwaukee Brewers.