Cardinals Should Target $10.5 Million Rangers Closer To Boost Bullpen

The Cardinals could still make a free agent move or two.

Sep 22, 2024; Arlington, Texas, USA; Texas Rangers relief pitcher Kirby Yates (39) walks off the field after he pitches against the Seattle Mariners during the ninth inning at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images / Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

The St. Louis Cardinals have been quiet this offseason after they were expected to be busy on the trade front. They plan to cut payroll and the best way for them to do that is to trade third baseman Nolan Arenado.

As such, they likely won't do much in terms of signing free agents. They already plan to have a slight reset and focus more on their younger players.

Still, that doesn't mean that they won't make a move or two once some money is cleared out. Perhaps they could target ex-Texas Rangers closer Kirby Yates, who The Athletic ranks as one of the top available relievers.

"In his 20s, Yates was a fringe Major League reliever who’d gone undrafted out of college. In his 30s, he’s been a closer and two-time All-Star, and at 37, he’s coming off one of the best seasons of his career. Pushed into ninth-inning duty after José Leclerc struggled out of the gate, Yates finished with 33 saves and a career-best 1.17 ERA with the Rangers. He was an All-Star and finished behind only Cleveland’s Emmanuel Clase in Win Probability Added."

Yates recently turned 38 and is on the back end of his career, but the Cardinals likely won't keep Andrew Kittredge and need a bullpen arm to go along with Ryan Helsley and JoJo Romero.

Having Helsley and Yates as a back-end combination in their bullpen could give the Cardinals a better chance to remain competitive this year, and if they are out of contention by the trade deadline, Yates could be flipped for a haul of prospects.

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