Inside The Cardinals

Cardinals' Ryne Stanek Deal Checks More Than One Box

The St. Louis Cardinals made yet another solid move...
Patrick McAvoy|
Sep 14, 2025; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets pitcher Ryne Stanek (55) reacts to getting the third out during the tenth inning against the Texas Rangers at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images
Sep 14, 2025; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets pitcher Ryne Stanek (55) reacts to getting the third out during the tenth inning against the Texas Rangers at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images | Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

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St. Louis CardinalsNew York Mets

The St. Louis Cardinals are cooking this offseason.

St. Louis hasn't been shopping at the top of the free agent market, by any means, but that wasn't the goal of the offseason. The Cardinals said they were going to be aggressive and they have been just that from a pitching perspective.

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The Cardinals traded Sonny Gray and Willson Contreras and got Richard Fitts, Hunter Dobbins, and three prospects in return. The Cardinals went out and signed Dustin May in free agency and traded for Justin Bruihl. On top of this, the Cardinals reportedly agreed to terms on a deal with veteran relief pitcher Ryne Stanek on Friday night, according to Robert Murray of FanSided.

"Free-agent reliever Ryne Stanek and the St. Louis Cardinals are in agreement on a contract, according to sources familiar with the deal," Murray wrote.

Another good move for the Cardinals

New York Mets pitcher Ryne Stanek
Sep 1, 2025; Detroit, Michigan, USA; New York Mets pitcher Ryne Stanek (55) throws a pitch against the Detroit Tigers in the fifth inning at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images | Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images

This is another win for the Cardinals. Stanek is a nine-year big league veteran with a career 3.85 ERA. He had a tough 2025 season with a 5.30 ERA in 65 appearances, but this is a guy who had a 1.15 ERA in 59 outings with the Houston Astros in 2022.

The talent is there. With the Cardinals trading Ryan Helsley, Phil Maton, and Steven Matz this past summer, the club has needed bullpen depth. Stanek fits that description and more. Plus, it doesn't hurt that he's from the area.

Another reason why this is a good move is that he's another potential high-upside trade chip down the line for the club. Look at what they did with Maton last season. They brought him in, he shined, then was flipped at the deadline. If Stanek bounces back in 2026, that's the exact strategy that should be used this upcoming summer as well. The same could be said about May as well.

The Cardinals have added guys who can help in the short term and end up being valuable traded pieces later. Another great move by Chaim Bloom and the front office.

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Patrick McAvoy
PATRICK MCAVOY

Patrick McAvoy's experiences include local and national sports coverage at the New England Sports Network with a focus on baseball and basketball. Outside of journalism, Patrick also is pursuing an MBA at Brandeis University. After quickly rising as one of the most productive writers on the site, he expanded his reach to write for Baseball Essential, a national baseball site in Sports Illustrated Media Group. For all business/marketing inquiries regarding Inside The Cardinals, please reach out to Scott Neville: nevilles@merrimack.edu

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