Ex-Cardinals Hurler 'Close' To Finalizing Deal With Royals Amid Spending Spree
St. Louis Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak spent the beginning of the offseason sorting out the rotation and has since pivoted his focus onto the bullpen.
In both pitching markets, former Cardinals hurlers are available to reunite with. One of the more recent contributors, however, has fallen off the board amid a surprising spending spree by the Kansas City Royals.
"And the Royals aren't done. They're also close to finalizing a deal with right-handed reliever Chris Stratton," MLB.com's Anne Rodgers reported Tuesday. "It would be a one-year deal with a player option for 2025, source says."
The news came just minutes after it was reported that the Royals signed right-hander Seth Lugo to a lucrative two-year, $30 million deal with a $15 million player option for Year 3.
Stratton posted a 3.92 ERA with an impressive 81-to-25 strikeout-to-walk ratio, .227 batting average against and 1.14 WHIP in 82 2/3 innings between the Cardinals and Texas Rangers last season.
The 33-year-old was an underappreciated asset last season given his amount of meaningful innings. Stratton not only recorded the fourth-most innings out of the bullpen last season but did so with a 113 ERA+ across 64 appearances.
The veteran could have been a solid reunion candidate given his ability to go multiple innings when needed but the Cardinals already acquired starters whose greatest abilities were durability and consistency.
This year, Mozeliak would be wise to aim for dynamic arms that serve as high-leverage options while relying on the new rotation additions to get them deep enough into games.
More MLB: Cardinals Reportedly Could Add Another Starting Pitcher Via Trade
