Cardinals' search for a new closer could lead them to an unlikely free agent

When the St. Louis Cardinals parted with Ryan Helsley at the trade deadline, they never really found their long-term replacement for the flamethrowing closer.

Sure, JoJo Romero and Riley O'Brien handled the majority of the save opportunities in the final months of the campaign, but there's no obvious in-house candidate who is ready to fill Helsley's shoes, at least not yet.

Thus, barring a developmental breakout from Gordon Graceffo, the Cardinals will need to turn their attention toward free agency to fill their ninth-inning role in 2026.

We've already analyzed Brad Keller's fit with the Cardinals and how St. Louis could kill two birds with one stone by signing the Chicago Cubs reliever. Now, let's turn our attention to another leverage arm that Jim Bowden of The Athletic attached to the Redbirds: Kyle Finnegan.

Kyle Finnegan could be perfect sign-and-flip closer candidate for Cardinals.

Ever since emerging with the Washington Nationals during the pandemic season in 2020, Finnegan has been one of the most consistent relievers in the sport, which, if you know anything about the volatility of bullpen arms, is a huge compliment to the 34-year-old veteran.

Since the start of the 2021 season, Finnegan has accrued 3.4 WAR while locking down 112 saves between the Nationals and Detroit Tigers. He's appeared in at least 56 games in each of the previous five campaigns, and his ERA has sat between 3.47 and 3.76 each year.

After struggling in the first half of the 2025 season for the lowly Nationals, Finnegan received a new lease on life with the Tigers after the trade deadline. In arguably the best stretch of his career, the right-hander secured four saves while striking out 23 and allowing just three runs in 18.0 innings.

Though he's never quite been elite, the Tigers certainly helped him figure things out. His groundball rate boomed in the second half as he leaned on the splitter more, and strikeout rate skyrocketed to 38.8% immediately after arriving in Detroit in August. The Cardinals could help him further that development next season.

As a 34-year-old who just made the playoffs for the first time, someone with Finnegan's résumé is going to want a big contract from a contender in free agency. However, Bowden places his market around just $6 million per year, and if he is forced to accept another one-year contract, he could be a perfect sign-and-flip piece for the rebuilding Cardinals.

We already saw the team's proactivity with trading rental relievers at the trade deadline. St. Louis would almost certainly have to offer a higher salary given their non-contending status, but bringing him in for the first half of 2026 and then trading him for prospects at the trade deadline could be a savvy business move for Chaim Bloom in his first year running the show.