Pair Of Cardinals Veterans Elect Free Agency Effectively Ending Time With Organization

Two former members of the Cardinals are looking for fresh starts elsewhere

It's almost time for Major League Baseball free agency to begin.

The 2023 campaign was a wild one and either the Texas Rangers or Arizona Diamondbacks will be hoisting the World Series trophy shortly. Many expected the St. Louis Cardinals to contend for a championship this season but the club struggled out of the gate and never was able to get its footing. Rather than competing for a World Series title, the Cardinals had one of the worst seasons in team history and won just 71 games. 

St. Louis has plenty of work to do and will be busy this offseason looking to restock the roster. Also, there are a couple more spots on the roster that need to be filled after right-handed pitcher Jacob Barnes and infielder Juniel Querecuto officially elected free agency from the club, according to the MLB Transaction Log.

Barnes joined the Cardinals ahead of the 2023 campaign after spending the 2022 season with the Detroit Tigers and New York Yankees. The righty appeared in just 13 games for the Cardinals this season and compiled a 5.93 ERA out of the bullpen. Barnes was arbitration-eligible but there were rumblings that the Cardinals could non-tender him this offseason.

Querecuto appeared in just nine games with St. Louis this season and saw time at first base, second base, and third base in the small sample size. The 31-year-old mainly has spent time in the minor leagues throughout his professional career but now will become a free agent and have the opportunity to sign elsewhere. 

It's almost time for free agency to actually kick off and the Cardinals are sure to be busy. 

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