The Cardinals didn’t wait long to start addressing their most obvious problem.
St. Louis’ bullpen was a mess in 2026, and the numbers back it up.
The club finished with a 4.40 bullpen ERA, 20th in baseball, and tied for the third-most blown saves in the league with 30. That kind of relief work leaves little room for error, and it’s a big reason the Cardinals ended up 11 games out of the final wild-card spot in 2027 after going 77-85.
That record was one game worse than the year before, when Nolan Arenado, Brendan Donovan, Sonny Gray and Willson Contreras were still in St. Louis.
So when the Cardinals made a move Tuesday to land Eduardo Rivera from the Boston Red Sox, it was the kind of quiet transaction that could end up mattering a lot.
The price was light. St.
Louis sent young pitching prospect Juan Garcia to Boston, and Rivera arrives with a chance to help much sooner than Garcia would have. Rivera could be in position to contribute right away on Opening Day to begin the 2027 season.
His big league sample in 2026 was brief: four appearances, including three starts, and a 6.30 ERA over 10 innings. That line doesn’t tell the whole story. The stronger case for Rivera comes from Triple-A Worcester, where he posted a 2.96 ERA in 24 outings, three of them starts.
There’s also plenty to like physically. Rivera is 6'7" and brings a blistering left-handed fastball.
He’s only 23, and if St. Louis can carry over what he showed in the minors, he could become a useful lefty arm in the bullpen for a long time.
The Cardinals will have team control for a while, and Rivera will still carry rookie status heading into the 2027 season.
The bullpen remains the organization’s biggest weakness, but this is a start. Rivera may not be a familiar name yet, but the Cardinals have already added a pitcher who could make a real impact. And they did it early, with Chaim Bloom and the club moving before November even got rolling.
In Other News...
Cardinals Can't Afford To Treat Winn And Burleson Like Trade Chips
Chaim Bloom has already shown he is willing to move veterans to replenish the Cardinals farm system, and the rebuild has still left St. Louis in a better place than many expected. Even after those trades, the club has managed to stay competitive with a younger roster and a stronger talent pipeline, which naturally invites more chatter about what comes next and which players could be used to keep the momentum going.
Alec Burleson and Masyn Winn are the kind of names that can pop up in those conversations, but the Cardinals should be careful not to treat either as a simple trade chip. Both fit the age and control window that make a rebuilding team dangerous in the long run, and both look more valuable to St. Louis as part of the core than as currency for another reset. The organization has spent enough time gathering pieces to know how hard it is to find them. [Read more 🡒]
Cardinals Are Betting Their Young Core On One New Voice
The Cardinals have turned to Joel McKeithan as the new voice guiding their offense, a move that comes after Brant Browns dismissal and a search that included both internal and external options. McKeithan arrives with a background that includes time as an assistant hitting coach with the White Sox, along with experience in Cincinnati and at Driveline, giving St. Louis a blend of big-league and modern development perspective as it tries to get more out of its lineup.
For a club leaning on a young core, the hire matters because the Cardinals are not just looking for a fresh set of eyes, but a coach who can help shape how that group grows at the plate. McKeithans track record suggests a different voice and a different process, and now the real question is how quickly that approach takes hold once spring work begins. [Read more 🡒]
Cardinals Could Gamble On A Veteran Starter With Real Upside
The Cardinals are still weighing ways to add stability to the rotation this offseason, and Nick Pivetta has surfaced as a name worth watching. The veteran right-hander, now a free agent after his stint with the San Diego Padres, put together a strong 2025 before injuries interrupted his 2026 season and led San Diego to decline his contract option. For a St. Louis club looking for pitching help without giving up the flexibility of a long-term commitment, that kind of profile can be appealing.
Pivetta also fits the kind of calculated bet the Cardinals may be willing to make under Chaim Bloom, who knows the value of chasing upside when the price is reasonable. The appeal is obvious enough: if the health holds, there is still a track record suggesting he can help a staff in need of innings and quality starts. The question now is whether St. Louis sees enough upside to move quickly, or whether another team gets there first. [Read more 🡒]