Reunion With $6 Million All-Star Should Be Guarantee For Cardinals

St. Louis should bring the All-Star back to town in 2025

Feb 26, 2021; Jupiter, Florida, USA; A general view of the St. Louis Cardinals logo on the stadium at Roger Dean Stadium during spring training workouts. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-Imagn Images / Jasen Vinlove-Imagn Images

The St. Louis Cardinals may not end up in the playoffs this season, but there have been some bright spots.

The Cardinals entered the 2024 season with a few clear areas they wanted to improve after the 2023 season. St. Louis needed to add pitching both in the rotation and the bullpen. Both struggled last season, so the Cardinals were active, adding three starters and a few relievers.

One player the Cardinals added was former All-Star reliever in a trade with the Tampa Bay Rays for Andrew Kittredge. St. Louis sent Richie Palacios to Tampa Bay, and the trade has worked out.

St. Louis finished the 2023 season with the 23rd-ranked bullpen ERA at 4.47. The Cardinals certainly improved and currently are ranked sixth in baseball at 3.62. Kittredge is a major reason for this turnaround.

The veteran righty has appeared in 73 games with St. Louis this season and has a 2.84 ERA and 66-to-20 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 69 2/3 innings pitched. That type of production has been amazing for St. Louis. Plus, he has been dependable which the Cardinals needed.

He will be a free agent at the end of the season, though. Kittredge will enter free agency, and Spotrac currently has his market value at just under $7 million in a one-year deal. Although that is expensive, the Cardinals should do everything possible to bring him back.

The Cardinals aren't going to be back in the playoffs, but they aren't far away. They can't go back to having one of the worst bullpens in baseball if they want to contend in 2025.

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