Ian Kennedy is a free-agent name to watch for St. Louis Cardinals

Ian Kennedy is a free-agent name to watch for St. Louis Cardinals. There’s past interest and a glaring need for a reliever with his ability.

At the trade deadline, Ian Kennedy was a name linked to the St. Louis Cardinals. He was ultimately traded to the Philadelphia Phillies, but now that he is a free agent, is free to sign with any team – and could once again be an option.

Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch at least raises Kennedy’s name as a possibility, reporting that Kennedy is a name that has previously interested the Cardinals.

Kennedy, 37, has flown a bit under the radar this offseason. Perhaps that’s because the other names such as Joe Kelly, Ryan Tepera, Collin McHugh, Archie Bradley and others have garnered the most attention. But it could be because after the midseason trade, Kennedy struggled with the Phillies, posting a 4.13 ERA in 24 innings.

Before the trade, Kennedy posted a 2.51 ERA in 36.1 innings, and was one of the most coveted pitchers at the deadline. His struggles in Philadelphia could mean that a team – maybe the Cardinals – can get a bargain deal on a proven reliever once the lockout is over. If that is indeed the case, Kennedy would not be the headline bullpen signing (Tepera?), and that  would give them a pair of established, veteran major-league relievers.

One hiccup in that potential scenario, however, is that it would leave the Cardinals with a need for a left-handed reliever. Maybe they add another left-handed reliever via trade or wait until the trade deadline to address it. But it would be their biggest weakness by far, though they have internal options such as T.J. McFarland and Genesis Cabrera to fill that role.

Either way, the Cardinals’ bullpen needs significant tweaking before Opening Day, whenever that may be. But adding Tepera and Kennedy would be a strong start toward making over their biggest weakness.