Ryne Stanek lands contract with Cardinals

The Mets landed Stanek in a trade deadline deal with the Seattle Mariners in 2024. New York went on a surprise run to the NLCS that season before falling to the eventual champion Los Angeles Dodgers. However, Stanek didn’t contribute much to the team’s success. The nine-year veteran posted a 6.06 ERA and 1.286 WHIP in 17 appearances for New York. Nonetheless, the Mets brought Stanek back the following season.

Things didn’t improve for the 34-year-old hurler in 2025. He produced a 5.30 ERA, 1.571 WHIP, 76 ERA+ and -1.0 bWAR in 65 appearances for the Mets last year. But despite his recent struggles, Stanek drew plenty of interest this offseason. According to one MLB insider, the majority of the NL Central coveted the reliever before the Cardinals closed the deal.

Stanek is appealing as a reclamation project. Despite entering his age-34 season, he continues to boast good velocity, with an upper-90s fastball. And when at his best, Stanek generated strikeouts. In his last strong campaign – back in 2022 – the reliever posted a 1.15 ERA and 333 ERA+. That season he racked up 2.1 bWAR in 59 appearances largely thanks to a 10.2 K/9.

The Cardinals hope Stanek can return to form in 2026. He’ll join a bullpen that lacked a defined closer role after Ryan Helsley was traded at the deadline. JoJo Romero and Riley O’Brien shared closing duties for the Cardinals over the second-half of the 2025 season.