The Cardinals added depth to their bullpen by acquiring veteran right-handed relief pitcher Ryne Stanek in free agency.
The St. Louis Cardinals formally committed to a rebuild this offseason after failing to reach the playoffs for a third consecutive year. President of baseball operations Chaim Bloom has begun reshaping the roster, moving key pieces as part of that process. St. Louis has already dealt Sonny Gray and Willson Contreras to the Boston Red Sox, and the organization is also exploring trade possibilities involving veterans Nolan Arenado and Brendan Donovan.
The Mets acquired Stanek from the Seattle Mariners at the 2024 trade deadline. New York went on an unexpected run to the NLCS that year before losing to the eventual champion Los Angeles Dodgers. Despite the team’s success, Stanek played a limited role, recording a 6.06 ERA and a 1.286 WHIP across 17 appearances. Even so, the Mets re-signed him for the following season.
The 2025 season was another difficult one for the 34-year-old right-hander. Stanek posted a 5.30 ERA, 1.571 WHIP, 76 ERA+, and –1.0 bWAR across 65 appearances for the Mets. Even with those struggles, he still generated significant interest on the open market. According to an MLB insider, several NL Central teams pursued Stanek before the Cardinals ultimately secured his signature.
Stanek’s appeal lies in his potential as a reclamation project. Despite entering his age-34 season, he continues to feature strong velocity, regularly touching the upper 90s with his fastball. At his peak, he has been a reliable strikeout arm. During his last standout season in 2022, Stanek recorded a 1.15 ERA and an eye-popping 333 ERA+, compiling 2.1 bWAR over 59 appearances, largely driven by a 10.2 strikeouts-per-nine rate.
The Cardinals are optimistic that Stanek can rediscover his form in 2026. He will enter a bullpen that lacked a clear closer following Ryan Helsley’s trade at the deadline, with JoJo Romero and Riley O’Brien splitting save opportunities for St. Louis during the second half of the 2025 season.
