Looking at the Cardinals bullpen after the latest additions to the roster

All of the St. Louis Cardinals' roster additions this offseason have come on the pitching side, which means there is sure to be a new look staff when players report to camp in about a months' time. While the current pitching setup is sure to change if and when the Cardinals make more noise on the trade market, here is where the bullpen sits at this point in January.

The St. Louis Cardinals bullpen is a ragtag group of arms that may look very different at the end of the season

The starting rotation will likely be a major conversation piece for much of the season, but the bullpen also has plenty of question marks that may not be answered any time soon. Currently, JoJo Romero sits in the closer role for the 2026 Cardinals team, but St. Louis has little reason to hold onto Romero for much longer. The rumors surrounding the 28-year-old, high leverage lefty have cooled off, but Romero agreeing to a new deal at least gives rival teams a clear picture of his dollar cost for next season. I would still be surprised if Romero is still on the Cardinals' roster when the team goes north for the season, but we have seen Chaim Bloom not rush into deals if the return is not up to his liking.

Behind Romero sits Matt Svanson, who burst onto the scene last season and became a go-to, late inning arm for Oli Marmol and the coaching staff. Soon to be 27-years-old, Svanson pushed his way to the big league roster last season after impressing in a closing role in the minors in 2024. He rode the Memphis shuttle a few times after his initial promotion, but eventually forced management's hands to keep him on the major league roster. In 39 games last season, Svanson put up a 29.1% strikeout rate and a minuscule 1.94 ERA and looked like a future closer. If and when Romero is dealt, Svanson could be an early candidate for that ninth inning role.

This is where things start to get messy. Kyle Leahy filled a firefighter role last season, being the priority arm for Marmol when the team needed to get out of a jam. This year, though, Leahy is expected to be a contender for a starting spot in the rotation, leaving a big vacancy in the relief corps. Of the current group, I could see Riley O'Brien being the first man up to grab that spot after showing flashes of electric stuff at multiple points last season. He also has some command issues that can pop up from time to time, but the Cardinals may be too intrigued by the power stuff to shy away from usage in big moments.

If O'Brien were to falter or if they just feel better about a veteran presence, newest major league free agent signing Ryne Stanek could allow O'Brien to find his footing in lower leverage roles. Like the former, Stanek has a high-velocity fastball but does not always know where it is going to end up. He has filled every role in the bullpen from opener to closer, so he presents versatility for Marmol and pitching coach Dusty Blake. Things start to get a little messier after those names fans may recall from last year.

Ryan Fernandez is still around after failing to build off of a great 2024 season and the Cardinals hope he can regain some of his form that made him a steal of a Rule 5 selection. Speaking of Rule 5, the Cardinals selected Matt Pushard during this year's draft, meaning he will have to stay on the major league roster or be offered back to the Marlins. Pushard has shown some quality stuff in the minors and will hope to make an early impression on the St. Louis coaching staff. Left hander and newest Cardinal Justin Bruihl could find his way into a John King role, hopefully with more success than King had in a disappointing 2025 season. Rounding out the eight man unit is sure to be a revolving spot in an effort to keep the bullpen fresh and get some major league eyes on some other arms.

Gordon Graceffo, Chris Roycroft, Nick Raquet, and Andre Granillo have all seen major league time in the past and figure to be in a Spring Training competition to crack the Opening Day roster. The current alignment is sure to change, especially if JoJo Romero is traded, but the rotation is also going to be a storyline with a trickle down impact on the roster. With the acquisitions of Richard Fitts, Hunter Dobbins, and Dustin May, it could be that Andre Pallante and Leahy are fighting for rotation spots or if they will be moved back to the bullpen for the time being.