Ex-Yankees Star May Make Sense For Cardinals To Bolster Back Of Bullpen

St. Louis should consider signing one former Yankee reliever

The St. Louis Cardinals have depth all over the roster. 

Although the 2023 campaign still is new with St. Louis playing just three games, the club has been impressive in the small sample size. 

The Cardinals won two out of three games against the Toronto Blue Jays and got contributions from up and down the roster. 

The Cardinals' pitching was impressive too. All in all, it was a solid start to the 2023 campaign. Although this is the case, St. Louis has been bitten by the injury bug to open the season. 

All-Star catcher Willson Contreras seemed like he may miss time after being struck in the knee by a fastball, but he already has returned. Relief pitcher Giovanny Gallegos has yet to make an appearance after tweaking his back before Opening Day, but should be back soon. 

Both of St. Louis' injuries so far this season have been short-term, but they do show that it wouldn't hurt if the Cardinals added even more depth. One option the team should consider is former New York Yankees and Baltimore Orioles star reliever Zack Britton.

The 35-year-old has appeared in just 25 games over the last two seasons as he dealt with injuries, but now seemingly is healthy and still is a free agent.

 Britton has held showcases throughout the spring to prospective teams but has yet to sign a contract as he continues to build up after undergoing Tommy John Surgery. 

When healthy, Britton was one of the best relievers in all of baseball. The two-time All-Star had an ERA below 2.00 in 2019 and 2020 when he was last fully healthy, but struggled in 2021 before getting hurt. He may not be a team's best reliever, but he could provide solid left-handed depth for a club at this point. 

St. Louis currently has two left-handed relievers in its bullpen -- Packy Naughton and Zack Thompson -- but it wouldn't hurt to add a third at a cheap cost. With Contreras and Gallegos both suffering ailments right away, it shows that any injuries could pop up at any time. 

It couldn't hurt to add more depth and Britton could fill that. At this point, they potentially could even bring him in on a minor-league deal which would bring no downsides in the slightest. A depth move should at least be considered at this point with the high expectations that St. Louis has. 

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