Cardinals All-Star Projected To Get Just $7 Million Contract

St. Louis could lose the veteran pitcher this winter

Sep 5, 2023; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; A detailed view of the hat and glove of St. Louis Cardinals second baseman Nolan Gorman (not pictured) before a game against the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images / Brett Davis-Imagn Images

The St. Louis Cardinals missed the playoffs this season, but there were plenty of bright spots.

St. Louis wanted to improve the bullpen heading into the 2024 season and did just that. The Cardinals had one of the worst bullpens in 2023, but a flurry of offseason moves completely changed things. St. Louis finished the 2024 season with the seventh-ranked bullpen ERA at 3.64.

One of the biggest reasons for the Cardinals' turnaround in the bullpen certainly was the arrival of All-Star pitcher Andrew Kittredge. St. Louis acquired him in a deal with the Tampa Bay Rays and it turned out to be a fantastic move.

He was an All-Star in 2021 as a member of the Rays and had a comparable season in 2024 with the Cardinals. Kittredge appeared in 74 games for the Cardinals and was one of the team's most dependable arms. Over that stretch, he logged a 2.80 ERA and 67-to-20 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 70 2/3 innings pitched.

Kittredge certainly wasn't the reason why the Cardinals missed the playoffs, but he may end up spending just one season with the team. The veteran hurler will be a free agent this winter, and St. Louis is looking to cut payroll.

The righty is projected to get a deal worth just under $7 million over one season. While that shouldn't steer the Cardinals away, a reunion seems unlikely. The Cardinals already said that they are going to use the 2025 campaign to reset the organization. That means that the payroll is going down and it may not be a great year.

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