The Cardinals made a splash during the Winter Meetings by acquiring a middle of the order bat the club desperately needed, in slugger Marcell Ozuna. While this acquisition will significantly improve the ball club, Mozeliak and company cannot afford to not make any additional roster moves if the Redbirds hope to compete in 2018. The Cardinals are currently without a realistic closing option since Trevor Rosenthal is set to miss the entire season after undergoing Tommy John surgery, and Seung Hwan Oh unlikely to return to the team next season. Let’s take a look at some of the best options the Cardinals can pursue to close out games in 2018.
Wade Davis
Davis had a dazzling 2017 campaign, owning a miniscule 2.38 ERA and posting thirty-two saves. Davis impressively only blown one save the entire season, which was tied for the least amount in all of baseball last season! Davis’ dominance has not ceased with the regular season, Davis shines bright under the pressure of October playoff baseball. In twenty eight postseason games, Davis owns an impressive 1.40 ERA, with eight saves! Davis has championship pedigree, closing out the Royals’ 2015 World Series title. Davis would allow the Cardinals to no longer fret about the ninth inning, and let the rest of the bullpen fall into place, unlike last season when the Cardinals were forced to virtually implliment a closer by committee. The acquisition of Davis would not only significantly strengthen the Redbird’s bullpen, but also weaken the bullpen of the arch rival Cubs.
Addison Reed
Reed posted a solid 2.57 ERA in his 2017 campaign that was split between the Mets and Red Sox.
Reed set a career best last season, posting a 13.7% swinging strike rate, indicating that his control on his pitches were pinpoint. Reed has been a model of consistency throughout his seven year Major League career, owning a respectable career ERA of 3.40. Another aspect of Reed that will appeal to the Cardinals is his splits between the American and National League. Reed has spent four years in each league, but has experienced dramatically more success in the National League versus the American League. For his career, Reed has an outstanding 2.98 ERA in the National League, in contrast to his mediocre 4.03 American League ERA. While Reed is not as eye catching of a talent as Wade Davis, he will definitely be a reliable arm to close out games for the Redbirds at a significantly lower price.
Greg Holland
Holland is a riskier option for the Cardinals to pursue as their closer in 2018, but the risk may be warranted for the potential reward. Last season, Holland returned from Tommy John surgery and posted a respectable 3.61 Era. Holland also had the honor of representing the National League in last season’s mid-summer classic. While a 3.61 ERA may seem mediocre, it must be remembered that Holland pitched in the thin air of Coors Field last season, where many pitchers struggle, regardless of how talented they are. Holland would certainly be a more financially fiscal option than Wade Davis, which would most likely appeal to the Cardinals’ frugal owner, Bill DeWitt Jr. Greg Holland is certainly a viable option to close out games for the Cardinals in their 2018 campaign.
Alex Colome
A multitude of rumors have been swirling about Colome closing out games in the Arch City next season! Last season, Colome nailed down forty-seven saves, the most in the Majors. Colome has been utterly dominant in his five year Major League career, owning a career ERA of only 3.14. If the Cardinals acquire Colome from Tampa Bay, players such as Chris Archer and Evan Longoria will most likely be included in the deal, which will obviously increase the package of players the Cardinals will be forced to part ways with. According to Derrick Goold of the St.Louis Post – Dispatch, the Rays have expressed interest in Randal Grichuk, Harrison Bader, and Jack Flaherty. The Cardinals currently own a surplus in pitching prospects that include Alex Reyes, Luke Weaver, Dakota Hudson, etc, so parting ways with Flaherty will not be critical. The Cardinals also have a multitude of outfielders on their roster, so it may be advantageous of the Cardinals to trade from two positions of depth for players who fill positions of need. The acquisition of Colome will undoubtedly ease the Cardinals’ ninth inning concerns for the 2018 campaign.
Kelvin Herrera
The Royals will clearly be beginning their rebuilding venture in 2018, since their core stars of Eric Hosmer, Mike Moustakas, Lorenzo Cain, and Alcides Escobar are all currently on the open free agent market, unlikely to return to Kansas City for the 2018 season. There is no doubt that Kansas City will be shopping closer, Kelvin Herrera, in anticipation of the hefty rebuild process the organization is about to embark on. The Royals shipped Wade Davis to the Cubs last season for only Jorge Soler, who was sent down to Omaha by the Royals due to his struggles. The Cardinals could acquire the talents of Herrera without parting ways with one of their top prospects. The Cardinals should perhaps offer shortstop prospect, Edmundo Sosa, who is ranked twelfth in the Cardinals farm system. Sosa is blocked by Dejong and Devin Perez in the Cardinals organization, so he will more than likely never have an opportunity to play consistently at the Major League level.
Zach Britton
Recent rumors around the industry predict that the Baltimore Orioles will trade Manny Machado and begin rebuilding. If the Orioles do decide to rebuild, all star closer, Zach Britton will surely be heavily shopped by the Orioles. Britton has arguably been the best closer in baseball the past four seasons. During this four year span, Britton’s highest ERA is only 2.89! In 2016, Britton posted one of the most historic seasons for any pitcher by owning an ERA of just 0.54, and saving a whopping forty-seven games! Britton would give the Cardinals a lock down arm in the ninth inning and would allow the rest of the bullpen to fall into their respective roles. Baltimore is in desperate need of young promising starters, since last season the team owned a horrific 4.97 ERA, which ranked twenty-seventh in the Majors. The Cardinals could dangle a a pair of pitching prospects such as Dakota Hudson and Jack Flaherty to try to coax Baltimore to part ways with Britton.
The Cardinals have numerous opportunities and options to rectify their bullpen for the 2018 season. If the Cardinals are able to acquire one or more of these relievers, I see no reason why the Cardinals cannot compete for the NL Central crown in upcoming season!
