Cardinals: 5 early offseason trade and free agent targets

Corey Knebel

The Cardinals have had a much more stable bullpen in 2022 than years past, with guys like Ryan Helsley, Giovanni Gallegos, Genesis Cabrera, Jordan Hicks, Andre Pallante, and more proving to be great options for the club. Every fan knows though, who you can trust in your bullpen can be extremely difficult to predict.

The Cardinals could look to add either a right or left handed veteran reliever to their mix this offseason, and one name that seems like an interesting fit is Corey Knebel. With Pallante or Hicks possibly being stretched out again as starters and just the likelihood of at least one of their main guys struggling next year, bringing in an experienced arm can provide a lot of value to the club.

Knebel struggled early on in 2022 and was removed from the primary closer role for the Phillies but has a 3.43 ERA in 46 games. The sinker baller has been a reliable bullpen arm since debuting in 2014, and could thrive in St. Louis with their bullpen usage. Deploying Helsley in big spots means that there are games where Oli Marmol may need another reliever to close the game, or may need more arms for other big spots. Knebel has the track record to be trusted in this environment.

There are a lot of relievers hitting the market this winter with at least late inning experience in their careers, meaning the Cardinals front office could do a deal with any number of relievers to strengthen their bullpen.