Inside The Cardinals

Could Cardinals Land Suddenly Available 9-Time All-Star?

Should the Cardinals go after the nine-time All-Star?
Patrick McAvoy|
wMar 1, 2025; North Port, Florida, USA; A detail view of Atlanta Braves hat, sunglasses and glove in the dugout during the fifth inning at CoolToday Park. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images
wMar 1, 2025; North Port, Florida, USA; A detail view of Atlanta Braves hat, sunglasses and glove in the dugout during the fifth inning at CoolToday Park. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images | Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

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St. Louis CardinalsBoston Red SoxAtlanta Braves

The St. Louis Cardinals could use another arm for the bullpen and it just so happens that a former superstar is available.

Nine-time All-Star Craig Kimbrel worked his way back up to the big leagues with the Atlanta Braves this past week but the club designated him for assignment after just one outing. Kimbrel had a 2.00 ERA in the minors across 18 appearances and didn't allow a run in his appearance with the Braves at the big league level.

Now, he's out there for the taking. Now that the Braves designated him for assignment, the Cardinals could place a claim on him. If Kimbrel goes unclaimed, there's a chance he could re-enter free agency.

In either scenario, he would make sense for the Cardinals. This is a guy who is one of the best closers in recent memory. He's a 16-year big league veteran with a career 2.59 ERA and 440 saves. The Cardinals don't need a closer with Ryan Helsley as their guy, but adding another set-up man wouldn't hurt.

The Cardinals currently have the 19th-ranked bullpen ERA at 3.98. Adding a guy like Kimbrel would be a low-risk, high-reward type move. Last year he struggled with the Baltimore Orioles but was an All-Star with the Philadelphia Phillies in 2023. He had the most success of his career as a member of the Braves and Boston Red Sox earlier in his career. Should the Cardinals go after him?

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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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