1 impending free agent from each remaining playoff team the Cardinals should target

The League Championship series is underway. The New York Mets are facing off against the Los Angeles Dodgers for the National League Pennant, and the Detroit Tigers and New York Yankees are going head-to-head in the American League Championship Series.

There are plenty of talented players on each roster, and it just so happens that some of the best players on each team are free agents this winter. Even though the St. Louis Cardinals intend on cutting payroll this offseason, there is still room in the budget for additions, especially if the Cardinals decline options on players like Keynan Middleton, Lance Lynn, and Kyle Gibson. Not re-signing Paul Goldschmidt will open up additional money.

The St. Louis Cardinals should target this one player from each team in the Championship Series.

New York Yankees -- RHP Tommy Kahnle

Sorry, but Juan Soto is not a realistic free-agent candidate for the Cardinals. Let's bring it down a notch.

If Andrew Kittredge isn't brought back next year, the Cardinals will need a pitcher with high-leverage experience who can neutralize right-handed batters. Tommy Kahnle of the Yankees could be just that guy.

Kahnle threw 42.2 innings for the Yankees this year with a 2.11 ERA, 1.148 WHIP, and a 4.01 FIP. He struck out a total of 46 batters. For his career, right-handed batters have a slash line of .206/.307/.343 got an OPS of .653. What's even better is that left-handed batters have an average just .009 points higher and an OPS just .003 points higher, so he isn't prone to splits as a pitcher. He had just one save this year compared to 16 holds.

In high-leverage situations, opponents have a .215/.310/.400 slash line against Kahnle. The bulk of his innings in his career have come in innings seven through nine rather than innings four through six, so he's familiar with pitching late in games.

Kahnle is an unrestricted free agent, and he received $5.75 million this year thanks to a two-year, $11.5 million contract in the 2022 offseason. Spotrac has his market value based on recent performance at just over $10 million. They project a two-year deal worth around $11 million. It's possible he signs a deal around that price, but he'll push for a contract that's comparable to his in New York over these past two years.

The 35-year-old reliever would be a reliable back-end reliever who won't break the bank for the Cardinals in 2025.