Spring Training is in full swing right now but the St. Louis Cardinals arguably should add one more piece to the organization this offseason.
There are still plenty of intriguing pieces still available despite the fact that Opening Day is roughly one month away. At this point, the Cardinals should take a look at the reliever market and see if there is anyone out there who would be willing to accept a minor league deal or a cheap, one-year big league deal.
If you like our content, choose Sports Illustrated as a preferred source on Google.
St. Louis showed that it was willing to sign a veteran reliever as it landed righty Ryne Stanek. He had a tough 2025 season with the New York Mets and logged a 5.30 ERA in 56 innings pitched. But this is a guy with a career 3.85 ERA in nine big league seasons across 466 total appearances.
The Cardinals should add one more hurler
Jun 16, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers relief pitcher Michael Kopech (45) delivers to the plate in the seventh inning against the San Diego Padres at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
The two guys the Cardinals should have their eye on at this point are 29-year-old flamethrower Michael Kopech and 36-year-old lefty Danny Coulombe. Kopech logged a 2.45 ERA in 14 appearances with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2025 across 11 innings of work. Kopech was in the 92nd percentile in fastball velocity in 2025 and the 98th percentile in fastball velocity in 2024. Kopech has plenty of upside. If the Cardinals are going to make another addition, there are a few guys with more upside.
Coulombe logged a 2.30 ERA across 55 outings in 2025 with the Minnesota Twins and Texas Rangers. He had a 2.12 ERA in 33 outings in 2024 with the Baltimore Orioles. He hasn’t finished a season with an ERA above 3.67 since 2018 and has a 3.35 career ERA in 343 total appearances.
St. Louis could use one more reliever in general and adding either of these guys would improve the bullpen in the short term while reloading the organization with another intriguing summer trade candidate. The Cardinals cut payroll in the long run by trading Nolan Arenado, Willson Contreras, Sonny Gray and Brendan Donovan. Putting a little bit of cash towards a reliever would be for the best at this point.
More MLB: The Quiet Roster Decision That Could Shape Cardinals’s First Month