Former All-Star Hurler Could Be Option To Help Boost Cardinals' Bullpen
The St. Louis Cardinals already have started to bolster the bullpen but still could use another arm or two.
St. Louis' bullpen was one of the league's worst last season but it has made a specific effort to improve it this offseason. The Cardinals already have added a few hurlers, but still are looking for at least one in free agency on a smaller deal.
One player who has been mentioned as a possible fit is one-time All-Star Matt Moore, according to The Athletic's Katie Woo.
St. Louis had interest in bringing back Chris Stratton, for example, but he decided to sign a one-year, $3.5 million deal with the Kansas City Royals," Woo said. "The Cardinals also met with Japanese star Yuki Matsui, though he ended up signing a five-year worth $28 million with the San Diego Padres.
"Though neither player signed with St. Louis, we can see where the organization's ideal annual average value lies within these contracts. The Cardinals are looking to add one more reliever with an AAV ranging around $5 million, per industry source. (Josh Hader), (Jordan Hicks), and (Héctor Neris) are projected to land an AAV much higher than that. Pitchers such as Matt Moore and Phil Maton fit that target range and the Cardinals have been linked to Maton throughout the winter.
Moore began his big league career as a starter with the Tampa Bay Rays and earned his lone All-Star nod with the club. He fully transitioned to a bullpen role in 2022 and had completely revitalized his career.
The lefty logged an impressive 1.95 ERA in 63 appearances in 2022 with an 83-to-38 strikeout-to-walk ratio. He followed his performance up with a 2.56 ERA in 50 appearances in 2023 and a 60-to-15 strikeout-to-walk ratio.
If the Cardinals are looking to add more to the bullpen at a discount, Moore could be their guy.
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