The 2017 MLB season has been filled with excitement. The Boston Red Sox won the World Series and 4 players from St. Louis must sign in 2021 free agency to continue that run of dominance, or risk watching their team fall back into mediocrity again.
The “st louis cardinals free agents 2021” is a list of the players that the St. Louis Cardinals must sign in 2021 MLB Free Agency.
The St. Louis Cardinals had an unbelievable month in September, winning 17 games in a row to get to the Wild Card Game. The Cardinals were ousted by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the first round, but it was a step in the right direction for a team that had underperformed for most of the season.
St. Louis has qualified for the playoffs in each of the previous three seasons, but has yet to reach the NLCS. In the summer, club president John Mozeliak fired manager Mike Shildt, citing “philosophical disagreements.” Oliver Marmol has taken over as Shildt’s replacement, and the front management will now attempt to make some changes to put this squad in a position to make a playoff run.
Here are four free agents the Cardinals should pursue in order to improve their prospects in 2022.
In MLB Free Agency in 2021, the Cardinals have four targets.
Carlos Rodon is a professional baseball player who plays for the
Last year, the former first-round selection came into his own, going 13-5 with a 2.31 ERA and earning his first All-Star appearance with the Chicago White Sox.
Rodon had a strikeout rate of over 13 per nine innings and was in the top 5% in anticipated weighted on-base average. The 28-year-old finished sixth in the AL Cy Young voting and would be an excellent addition to a St. Louis pitching staff that already includes Jack Flaherty and Adam Wainwright.
It’s also a good idea to bring in a southpaw, since veterans Jon Lester and J.A. Happ are both free agents.
Joe Kelly
Kelly began his writing career in St. Louis and has had a lot of success. Kelly was a key component of both the Boston Red Sox and the Los Angeles Dodgers’ recent World Series victories as a reliever, and he may add to an already strong bullpen that features Alex Reyes and Giovanny Gallegos.
The 33-year-old is coming off a strong season with the Dodgers, with an ERA+ of 144 and a WHIP of less than 1.00. Kelly was paid $4 million by Los Angeles in 2021, and he should earn a similar deal this time. The Andrew Miller experiment in St. Louis from 2019 to 2021 didn’t work out, and Kelly would be a superior choice.
Albert Pujols / Mitch Moreland
The Cardinals have space for an additional slugger with the designated hitter coming to the National League in 2022. Paul DeJong is presently occupying the empty spot, however he has declined significantly in the previous two seasons after coming second in the National League Rookie of the Year voting in 2017.
In this situation, the chance for a platoon position would be monetarily great for St. Louis. Although signing left-handed hitter Mitch Moreland may seem lackluster, the 36-year-old can still produce at the plate when facing right-handed pitchers. When Paul Goldschmidt takes a day off from the field, you may play the veteran at first base. As a member of the Texas Rangers in 2016, Moreland earned a Gold Glove at the position.
Moreland’s acquisition would need the addition of a southpaw hitter, which Albert Pujols can still accomplish. Despite the fact that he is no longer a daily player, the three-time MVP hit.294 versus lefties in 2021 at the age of 41.
Pujols started his career in St. Louis, where he dominated baseball for 11 years. The 10-time All-Star cut his way to the top. In St. Louis, he hit 328/.420/.617 and was a part of two World Series-winning teams. It would only make sense to reunite the all-time great with the Cardinal fans for one more hurrah.
The “2022 mlb free agents” is a list of players that the St. Louis Cardinals must sign in 2021 MLB Free Agency.
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