Apart from early activity in the trade market (dealing Sonny Gray and Willson Contreras), the St. Louis Cardinals have had a quiet offseason, especially when it comes to free-agent signings.
The Cardinals began the offseason by re-signing backup catcher Yohel Pozo after a solid 2025 season. After that, they added right-handed starter Dustin May to fill a spot in their rotation.
Friday, St. Louis made another move, adding a veteran reliever to aid the bullpen. According to Robert Murray of FanSided, the Cardinals have agreed to a deal with right-hander and St. Louis native, Ryne Stanek.
Over nine MLB seasons, Stanek carries a career 21-23 record with a 3.85 ERA. Although his career K/9 is strong (10.4), he has a tendency to offer free passes, carrying high BB/9 (4.6).
His best season by far came in 2022 with the Houston Astros, where he won a World Series title. In that season, Stanek posted a career-high 2.1 WAR, going 2-1 with a 1.15 ERA in over 54 innings of work.
That said, Stanek is coming off of a 2025 season where he posted his highest ERA (5.30) since his rookie year in 2017.
Nevertheless, Stanek will make a solid addition for a Cardinals team needing bullpen help. His role could be magnified if St. Louis were to trade JoJo Romero, a highly sought after left-handed arm.
At the very least, Stanek could offer stability in the bullpen before fetching a minor prospect return in a trade to a contender. With a World Series title, a perfect 4-0 record and a 2.89 ERA in 30 playoff appearances, Stanek will surely be involved in trade talks as the deadline approaches.
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