4 relievers the St. Louis Cardinals could target this offseason

LHP Matt Moore

Matt Moore played most recently for the Miami Marlins after being waived by both the Los Angeles Angels and Cleveland Guardians. Across 52.2 innings this past year, Moore had a 2.56 ERA, a 1.158 WHIP, 3.73 FIP, and struck out just over 10 batters per nine innings.

The 34-year-old lefty out of Florida has reverse splits. While right-handed batters typically have an advantage against left-handed pitchers, the opposite is true for Moore. Righties batted .218/.277/.345 against him, and Moore struck out nearly 34% of right-handed batters he faced. He was still serviceable against left-handed batters, but he was most dominant against righties. Those numbers are noticeably better than his career statistics; right-handed batters have a slash line of .246/.327/.413 and have struck out at a 25% rate in his career. 2023 appears to have been a career year for him, specifically against right-handed batters.

The Cardinals' left-handed pitchers as a whole (starters and relievers) allowed a .278 batting average, a .342 on-base percentage, and a .452 slugging percentage against right-handed batters. Some reinforcements in that department would be helpful. JoJo Romero was the primary lefty out of the 'pen for the Cardinals, and while he pitched well against righties, another dominant reliever never hurts.

Without Genesis Cabrera as a backup option and with Zack Thompson fighting for a starting spot this spring, another strong lefty out of the bullpen would be helpful for Oliver Marmol. JoJo Romero could be the primary left-handed reliever, and Matt Moore could provide some depth. Moore was most recently signed to a deal worth $7.5 million in 2023. His price could go up, but the length of the deal would more than likely fall in the 2-year range.