5 relievers the St. Louis Cardinals need to acquire

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - JUNE 02: Manager Oliver Marmol #37 of the St. Louis Cardinals removes T.J. McFarland #62 of the St. Louis Cardinals during the eighth inning of a game against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field on June 02, 2022 in Chicago, Illinois. The Cubs defeated the Cardinals 7-5. (Photo by Nuccio DiNuzzo/Getty Images)
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - JUNE 02: Manager Oliver Marmol #37 of the St. Louis Cardinals removes T.J. McFarland #62 of the St. Louis Cardinals during the eighth inning of a game against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field on June 02, 2022 in Chicago, Illinois. The Cubs defeated the Cardinals 7-5. (Photo by Nuccio DiNuzzo/Getty Images) /
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DENVER, CO – JUNE 4: Alex Colome #37 of the Colorado Rockies pitches against the Atlanta Braves at Coors Field on June 4, 2022 in Denver, Colorado. The Colorado Rockies debuted the team’s city connect uniforms in the game. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images)
DENVER, CO – JUNE 4: Alex Colome #37 of the Colorado Rockies pitches against the Atlanta Braves at Coors Field on June 4, 2022 in Denver, Colorado. The Colorado Rockies debuted the team’s city connect uniforms in the game. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images) /

Alex Colome

Pitching in Coors Field can be a nightmare for any pitcher. Calling the ballpark your home for a season is practically a death sentence to your career ERA. That is what makes Alex Colome’s start to 2022 so impressive.

In 26.1 innings for Colorado this season, Colome has an ERA of 2.39 with 15 SO and 3 saves for the team that is struggling to keep up with powerhouse division rivals like the Dodgers, Padres, and Giants. Since coming into the league in 2013, Colome has been one of the better and more consistent arms in all of baseball, sporting a career ERA of 3.07.

The one blip on his radar came in 2021, when he finished with a 4.15 ERA and went 17-24 in save opportunities for the abysmal Minnesota Twins. The 33 year old right hander has bounced back in a huge way for the Rockies, and could easily profile as a middle innings reliever for this Cardinal ballclub, or even push some of St. Louis’ current options into those roles.