Report: Cardinals not pursuing Max Scherzer

Max Scherzer's reported asking price of more than $200 million is likely to scare off a few prospective suitors this winter, and the St. Louis Cardinals are reportedly among the teams who have opted to pass on the right-hander.

According to Bob Nightengale of USA Today, the Cardinals are not active suitors for the 30-year-old who claimed the American League Cy Young award in 2013, as he remains "too expensive for their taste."

The Cardinals have committed $99 million towards next season's payroll before calculating arbitration raises, and their rotation ranked among the best in baseball in 2014.

Only five teams fashioned a lower earned run average than the Cardinals' rotation last year, while the club's starters allowed fewer home runs than every team except the Chicago Cubs.

Despite shipping Shelby Miller to the Atlanta Braves earlier this offseason, the Cardinals' rotation in 2015 will very much resemble the starting corps that enjoyed so much success one season ago, with Carlos Martinez expected to grab the final starting job.