photo: Phil Maton (Kevin Jairaj/USA TODAY Sports)
The St. Louis Cardinals have not yet made the big splash many are expecting from them. Coming home from the Winter Meetings with a major deal was not necessary, though. It is better to be more like the tortoise than the hare in this situation. In search of bullpen help and perhaps even a lights-out starter, St. Louis needs to be judicious and meticulous. The Cardinals should consider three free agent relievers from the Houston Astros before it gets too late.
Phil Maton would come with a lower price tag than most and some pretty good swing and miss stuff. The 20th round pick from the 2015 draft has a durable arm, having been on the injured list just once since 2018. Maton was former Astros manager Dusty Baker’s go to guy against left-handed hitting, making him an invaluable commodity. With a lively 30-year-old arm, Maton has struck out 232 hitters over the last three seasons in 180 plus innings of work. At an estimated $4 million dollar annual asking price, the Cardinals would secure a proven arm that can get people out. Rumors have St. Louis interested in Maton.
Another consideration for St. Louis might be Ryan Stanek. At 6-4, 226 pounds, Stanek is an imposing mound presence with extremely good stuff when he is on. When on his game, the native St. Louisan’s fastball (92-98 mph) and hard slider (84-87 mph) are almost unhittable. The knock against Stanek is the longball. He surrendered 18 home runs in 170 plus innings over the last three seasons including eight in just over 50 innings in 2023. Despite that he is another durable arm like Maton. Covid-19 notwithstanding, Stanek has spent just 32 days on the injured list since 2019.
The final Houston Astros free agent reliever St. Louis could pursue is Hector Neris. Although possibly the priciest commodity of the three, Neris’ numbers in 2023 are worth paying out the big bucks for if you want to stabilize the bullpen. In 2023, the righty struck out 77 hitters in 68 1/3 innings with a 1.71 ERA and rWAR above 2. At 34 years old, Neris has the stuff to be the Cardinals closer should Ryan Helsey falter and the $7 million plus to sign him would be money well spent.
All three of these arms were instrumental to Astros in 2023 and would no doubt improve the St. Louis pen in 2024. All three would bolster the pen without breaking the bank and are worth a chance.
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