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4 relief pitchers the St. Louis Cardinals should consider
Mark Melancon
Mark Melancon was 4-3 with 39 saves for the San Diego Padres in 2021.
At 36 with 11 seasons in the books, he has a 27% swinging-strike rate. He had 2 defensive runs saved in 2021 with 13 for his career. In 64 games and 64.2 innings pitched in 2021, he is a 1.1 WAR pitcher with 59 strikeouts.
He relies on a cutter, curveball, and a four-seam fastball. Melancon’s relied upon pitches has lowered since 2020. With his pitch arsenal decreasing and him having his own high defensive runs saved numbers, it would seem he would have great success with a Gold Glove-winning defense behind him.
Melancon doesn’t seem to like to stay in one location too long. The Cardinals could offer him a one-year deal with incentives and options that could be very attractive for both parties.