Ryne Stanek Option Decision Changes the Cardinals' Bullpen Plans

What should the St. Louis Cardinals do?

Aug 2, 2026; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; St. Louis Cardinals relief pitcher Ryne Stanek (55) reacts after getting the third out against the Toronto Blue Jays during the seventh inning at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The St. Louis Cardinals don't have many things to think about right now in the first few days of the offseason, but there is one option decision looming over the organization.

Ryne Stanek has a $6 million club option for the 2027 season. Now, of course, this shouldn't be considered very likely to be picked up. Stanek was good for the Cardinals in 2026, but he made $3.5 million. A raise up to $6 million certainly is unlikely for a rebuilding team and a 35-year-old relief pitcher.

Still, let's take a look at the decision from both sides and how it would change the Cardinals' offseason plans for the bullpen.

Picked Up

Sep 7, 2026; San Francisco, California, USA; St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Ryne Stanek (55) reacts after the third out of the ninth inning with the bases loaded against the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: John Hefti-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Again, it would be a pretty big surprise to see the $6 million option be picked up. Right now, Spotrac has Stanek's projected market value set at just under $3.5 million. So, the value isn't really there. But if the Cardinals did pick it up, they would lock in a dependable arm for the bullpen in 2027.

The bullpen in general was a weakness, but Stanek did give St. Louis a reliable arm, for the most part. From April 30 through the end of the season, Stanek logged a 2.84 ERA in 56 total appearances. The Cardinals need more of that. Arguably, Riley O'Brien, Gordon Graceffo, Justin Bruihl, Luis Gastelum, Cooper Hjerpe and Ryan Fernandez should be close to locks for the 2027 bullpen, at least to start. In that scenario, the Cardinals would still need to add multiple arms to the group. If you keep Stanek, then one is already secure and it's still just Oct. 30. The decision has to be made within five days of the World Series ending, which is Monday, Nov. 2. If you lock up a bullpen arm already, that will help in the long run, but also take money away to spend elsewhere.

Declined

Sep 12, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Ryne Stanek (55) delivers against the Chicago White Sox during the sixth inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Le-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

If Stanek's option is declined, the Cardinals could always try to bring him back at a lower value, which would be a best-case scenario. But it also would send him to free agency where he could go anywhere. If Stanek leaves, then there are at least two or three spots for the Cardinals to fill in the bullpen. At the end of the day, St. Louis needs to fix the bullpen this winter to have any chance of surprising people in 2027. The first decision to watch is coming with Stanek.