Cardinals: 5 free agent targets to improve the club before Spring Training

Zack Britton

Stop me if I sound like a broken record at this point, but there's another free-agent southpaw that the Cardinals should pursue to upgrade their bullpen. When it comes to Zack Britton, he may actually be the best fit out of the five free agents I listed here.

The Brett Cecil signing still leaves a bad taste in the mouth of the front office and fans alike, and whether you like it or not, a similar kind of contract is what will get the job done with Chafin or Moore at this rate. Both guys seem like good bets, but again, baseball has this weird thing with relievers. St. Louis would be wise to go down the path of a one-year deal, and if it doesn't work out, acquire a lefty via trade at the deadline.

Britton has been an excellent reliever over the course of his career but struggled with injuries during 2021 and 2022 that knocked him off his elite track. Between 2015 and 2020, Britton had a 1.89 ERA over 291 innings of work for the Baltimore Orioles and New York Yankees. It was not until his injuries came into play that things fell off for him.

He recently had a throwing session for teams, and multiple contenders are interested in seeing if he can bounce back as a high-leverage reliever. Without other clear places to spend, taking a flyer on Britton would be a low-risk, high-reward investment that St. Louis should take.