Inside The Cardinals

Cardinals Have Exciting Homegrown Solution To Replace Former All-Star Reliever

The young St. Louis hurler is ready to unleash his potential in 2025
Nate Hagerty|
Jul 3, 2024; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; St. Louis Cardinals relief pitcher Andrew Kittredge (27) pitches against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the ninth inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
Jul 3, 2024; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; St. Louis Cardinals relief pitcher Andrew Kittredge (27) pitches against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the ninth inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

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St. Louis Cardinals

The St. Louis Cardinals did little to adjust their big-league roster this offseason despite moving on from several former stars with expiring contracts.

Perhaps the most significant loss was neglecting to re-sign All-Star reliever Andrew Kittredge, who signed a one-year, $10 million deal with the Baltimore Orioles for 2025.

Kittredge was vital to the Cardinals' dominant bullpen last season but fortunately, there's a young St. Louis hurler ready to instill fear into every batter he faces this year.

"(Oli) Marmol and the Cards are hopeful (Chris) Roycroft, 27, can take the next step on the heels of a rookie season where he struck out 33 batters in 34 1/3 innings," MLB.com's John Denton wrote Tuesday. "The Cardinals lost Andrew Kittredge -- the National League leader in holds -- in free agency, and they need a high-leverage reliever to get the ball to closer Ryan Helsley."

Roycroft, who frequently visited Busch Stadium growing up and dreamed of one day pitching at the big-league level, struggled to battle through nerves throughout his 2024 debut -- logging a 1-2 record with a 4.19 ERA, 33-to-17 strikeout-to-walk ratio, .238 batting average against and a 1.40 WHIP in 34 1/3 innings pitched for the Cardinals.

"“I certainly try to inflict as much fear as I can into hitters,' said Roycroft, who held foes to a .158 batting average last season with his four-seam fastball, per Baseball Savant," Denton continued. “'A lot of that stems from watching Randy Johnson. He was a scary dude at 6-10 and he would throw at guys purposefully. There was a purpose to everything that he did and that's what I'm after. I don't want that [opposing] guy to feel comfortable at all in the box.'”

Standing at 6 feet 8 inches and weighing roughly 230 pounds, the homegrown right-handed pitcher's intimidating size naturally makes hitters nervous, especially when standing on an elevated mound.

Hopefully, Roycroft will overcome his own anxieties and fears this season to provide the Cardinals with much-needed relief in the back of the bullpen.

More MLB: Cardinals' Nolan Arenado Highly Praised By GOAT Hall Of Fame 3B In Recent Interview

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Nate Hagerty
NATE HAGERTY

Nate Hagerty joined “Inside The Cardinals” as a content creator to spread knowledge about his favorite childhood team. A hometown native of Boston, Hagerty chose at an early age of six years old to follow the St. Louis Cardinals. The miraculous season of 04’ for the Red Sox did not deter Hagerty from rooting against his hometown team, nor did it in 2013 against the Red Birds. For all business/marketing inquiries regarding Inside The Cardinals, please reach out to Scott Neville: nevilles@merrimack.edu 

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