The St. Louis Cardinals had one of the stronger bullpens overall in baseball in 2025, but should be in the market for another high-leverage arm this offseason.
St. Louis traded away Ryan Helsley ahead of the 2025 Major League Baseball trade deadline and made due the rest of the season by committee with guys like JoJo Romero and Riley O’Brien. For St. Louis, it would be surprising to see anything massive get done, but adding a veteran reliever wouldn’t hurt.
On Thursday, The Athletic’s Tim Britton, Aaron Gleeman, and Chad Jennings made a list of the top 50 free agents of the offseason with potential fits. One that stood out for the Cardinals was the trio listing St. Louis among the “best fits” for four-time All-Star Kenley Jansen.
“With three more saves, Jansen will move ahead of Lee Smith for sole possession of third-most all time behind only Mariano Rivera and Trevor Hoffman,” Jennings said. “There’s little doubt he’ll look to sign with a team that will give him a chance to close, a role he’s continued to earn into his late 30s.
The Cardinals should target Kenley Jansen