Royals Could Target Cardinals Hold Leader To Strengthen Bullpen For 2025
The Kansas City Royals have all of a sudden begun to slump at a crucial point in the season. They now are tied with the Detroit Tigers for the second American League Wild Card after having lost seven straight games.
The team has largely been carried by a resurgent Bobby Witt Jr. and a powerful starting rotation. The bullpen has been their achilles heel.
James McArthur, Hunter Brown, Chris Stratton, and Will Smith are all on the injured list. With Smith and Stratton both free agents at the end of the year, we could see the Royals try to upgrade their bullpen in the offseason.
Perhaps they could look at St. Louis Cardinals reliever Andrew Kittredge, who Joel Reuter of Bleacher Report lists as one of the top free agents on the market.
Kittredge has been a revelation for St. Louis this year. In 71 appearances, he owns a 2.93 ERA. He also leads the team in holds with 36 on the season. The Royals could certainly use a back-end presence in their bullpen.
The 34-year-old provides veteran leadership in a young clubhouse and is also a high-leverage arm with swing-and-miss capability. He could be a perfect segway to closer Lucas Erceg late in games in 2025.
The Royals went out and spent money last offseason, and they would be wise to do so again, especially on the bullpen. Kittredge would be a solid fit for the team, and they could certainly stick it to their I-70 rivals by poaching him away from St. Louis.
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CURT BISHOP
Curt Bishop is a freelance sports writer who graduated from Maryville University of St. Louis with a Bachelor of Arts degree in the field of Communication and currently writes as a contributor for various platforms covering Major League Baseball. Curt’s work includes covering trade and free agency predictions, as well as rumors and news.