The St. Louis Cardinals spent most of the offseason waiting out the reliever market to find affordable yet impactful arms following an early flurry of starting pitcher acquisitions.
Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak eventually found Andrew Kittredge via trade with the Tampa Bay Rays and then held off until February to make what is presumed to be the final notable signing of the offseason: agreeing to terms with right-hander Keynan Middleton.
We have since learned about the specific contract details of the deal, which are favorable for St. Louis.
Middleton will earn $5 million in 2024. The Cardinals then have a $6 million club option for 2025 with a $1 million buyout according to ESPN.
The 30-year-old hurler posted a 3.38 ERA with a 64-to-23 strikeout-to-walk ratio, .214 batting average against and a 1.24 WHIP in 50 2/3 innings between the Chicago White Sox and New York Yankees last season.
It's hard to get a better deal for a high-leverage reliever coming off a career year than the one St. Louis just pulled off. Many in the industry believe there is no such thing as a bad one-year deal -- which is certainly true at this price point.
Should Middleton underperform next season, they can cut him loose for a drop in the bucket. If he continues to produce at his 2023 level or even close, they can accept the club option and get an impactful bullpen addition for two years at only $11 million.
Mozeliak might have frustrated some fans by taking so long but his holdout appears to have been worth it.
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