Cardinals Could Target Available Ex-Astros Veteran To Add Another Arm

St. Louis could be a great option for the former Astros hurler

Jul 22, 2024; Oakland, California, USA; Houston Astros relief pitcher Rafael Montero (47) pitches the ball against the Oakland Athletics during the eighth inning at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports / Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

The St. Louis Cardinals entered the 2024 Major League Baseball trade deadline with one of their priorities being to add more depth to the bullpen.

St. Louis did a good job by acquiring Shawn Armstrong in a trade with the Tampa Bay Rays by parting ways with outfielder Dylan Carlson. The Cardinals currently have the eighth-best bullpen in baseball with an ERA of 3.67.

If the Cardinals wanted to add more depth, they still could despite the trade deadline behind us now. A flurry of players have been designated for assignment to make room for newly-acquired players and that number is expected to rise in the coming days.

One player who recently was designated for assignment is Houston Astros pitcher Rafael Montero, according to USA Today Sports' Bob Nightengale.

"The Astros DFA reliever Rafael Montero who was in the 2nd year of a 3-year, $34. 5 million contract, which is 7 weeks after releasing Jose Abreu, who was in the 2nd year of a 3-year, $58.5 million contract," Nightengale said.

Montero wasn't having a great year with a 4.10 ERA in 41 appearances and likely will go unclaimed on waivers. He still has a year left on his deal at too high of a price for any team to consider putting a waiver claim in. If he goes unclaimed, he will hit free agency and could make some sense then on a prove-it minor league deal.

He is just two seasons removed from a fantastic 2022 campaign that saw him record a 2.37 ERA and 73-to-23 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 68 1/3 innings pitched. If the Cardinals could take a chance on him and get him back to that level of production, he could be a cheap weapon for St. Louis down the stretch.

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