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5 relievers the St. Louis Cardinals need to acquire
By Josh Jacobs
Mark Melancon
The St. Louis Cardinals have shown in recent years their desire to bring in buy low, veteran arms to fill needs in their pitching staff. Veteran right hander Mark Melancon could be their next diamond in the rough.
After leading Major League Baseball in saves in 2021, Melancon has struggled mightily as the closer for the Diamondbacks. Although he has 11 saves so far in 2022, his 5.79 ERA in 23.1 innings of work leaves a lot to be desired.
While adding an arm with these bad of numbers seems like a step in the wrong direction, a change of scenery for the veteran Melancon and role as a middle innings reliever on a contender may be the boost he needs to get back to his production from 2021.
Last season, the Cardinals found success in adding veteran arms like J.A. Happ, Jon Lester, and Wade LeBlanc, even when their current production showed little to indicate future success. If the Cardinals decided to go this route with Melancon, it could pay off major dividends, and come at a low cost.