The St. Louis Cardinals have a bullpen problem, and they do not have much time to sort it out before the lockout hits. With the relief corps posting a 4.40 ERA this season - fifth-worst in the National League - the need is obvious, and the trade of JoJo Romero at the deadline only sharpened the search for a left-handed arm.
One name that surfaced in that conversation is Adrian Morejon. Tim Britton, Johnny Flores Jr. and Chad Jennings of The Athletic included the left-hander among their top 40 free agents and identified him as a possible fit for St. Louis.
“The top relief pitcher on the market has been overshadowed in his own bullpen, but while pitching in front of star closer Mason Miller, Morejon has accumulated the third-most fWAR and seventh-most strikeouts among relievers the past three seasons. In 2026, he was tied with Guardians closer Cade Smith for the most shutdowns. He also threw the third-most relief innings - only one less than Brewers multi-inning lefty Aaron Ashby - and only Miller, Louis Varland and Jhoan Duran had a higher fWAR.”
Morejon just finished a strong season at age 27, going 9-3 with a 2.83 ERA across 76 appearances. He added three saves and a 1.9 WAR, while averaging 11.2 strikeouts per nine innings.
The former All-Star would clearly give St. Louis a boost.
The problem is the price tag. Britton, Flores and Jennings projected Morejon to land a five-year, $110 million contract, and that kind of deal does not fit the way the Cardinals typically operate.
St. Louis is more likely to chase a short-term bullpen piece, then possibly move that pitcher at the trade deadline for prospects, the way it did with Dustin May this season.
So while Morejon makes sense on the field, he does not look like a realistic Cardinals target. He is likely to be too expensive for St. Louis, and signing a deal of that size is not Chaim Bloom’s nature.
Even so, the Cardinals could still bring in a reliever with closing experience to ease the load on Riley O’Brien as the season unfolds.
In Other News...
Cardinals Just Made Another Springfield Change Fans Will Want Explained
The Cardinals are making another notable change in Springfield, where Patrick Anderson will not return as manager of the clubs Double-A affiliate for the 2027 season. Anderson had been in charge since 2025, and during his time there he guided the team to a Texas League championship while keeping it in the hunt for a repeat the following year.
It is the latest shift for a Springfield operation that has already gone through a rebranding, moving from the Springfield Cardinals to the Ozarks Springbirds. With a new identity in place and a successful run under Anderson now ending, the organization is again reshaping one of its most visible player-development stops, leaving plenty of interest in what comes next for the club and who will be in the dugout. [Read more 🡒]
Cardinals Rotation Plans Could Put Pressure On Matthew Liberatore
The Cardinals got more out of their starting rotation than many expected this season, with Kyle Leahy and a handful of younger arms helping stabilize a staff that looked like a question mark on paper. Even so, the picture has shifted with Dustin May traded away and Hunter Dobbins sidelined by injury, leaving Matthew Liberatore in the mix for what could be the final rotation job as St. Louis looks ahead to next year.
Liberatores case is complicated by the inconsistency that has followed him, and the front office may not be eager to hand him a spot without adding more certainty around the group. Jim Bowden reported that the Cardinals are interested in signing a veteran starter this offseason to anchor the rotation and help the bullpen, a move that would add competition and make the path to innings even less secure for the left-hander. [Read more 🡒]
Trevor Rogers May Have Played His Way Beyond Baltimore
As the Cardinals sort through an offseason checklist that could include bullpen help, a veteran starter and maybe even a third baseman, Trevor Rogers has emerged as the kind of arm that fits the conversation. The left-handers recent run with the Orioles has put him back on the radar, and St. Louis has both the payroll room and a recent habit of taking chances on younger free agents, with Dustin May serving as one example of that approach.
Rogers would not solve every need in one move, but he does line up with a rotation that could use another option and a front office that has shown a willingness to bet on upside. The question now is whether Baltimores strong finish was enough to change his market in a way that pushes the Cardinals into a tougher decision when free agency opens up. [Read more 🡒]