The Cardinals appear vindicated after severing ties with Andrew Kittredge

When it came to the players whom the St. Louis Cardinals decided to part ways with in the offseason, Paul Goldschmidt was at the forefront of the discussion, and the ill-fated attempts to trade Nolan Arenado dominated the headlines. Somewhat lost in the shuffle was the departure of rock-solid relief pitcher Andrew Kittredge.

Kittredge was among the most dependable pitchers in the Cardinals bullpen in 2024. After the Cardinals acquired the right-hander in January 2024 from the Tampa Bay Rays in a one-for-one swap, sending Richie Palacios the other way, Kittredge cobbled together a 2.80 ERA in 74 outings, the fifth-most games that a National League pitcher appeared in last season. He also set a Cardinals record for holds in a season, with 37.

Near the end of the 2024 season, some rumors flared up that suggested the Cardinals were interested in re-signing Kittredge to a contract for 2025. That failed to materialize, and he inked a one-year deal with the Baltimore Orioles worth $10 million in January. But the Orioles received devastating news in spring training, when Kittredge felt soreness in his knee. Tests indicated that he needs arthroscopic knee surgery, costing him several months.

The Cardinals clearly made the right decision by saying goodbye to Kittredge.

Those who were more plugged into Cardinals baseball in 2024 noticed Kittredge's contributions, and many fans wanted him to return to the Cardinals for another season. However, the Cardinals didn't want to pony up and gamble on a repeat performance, and it now appears to be a shrewd choice.

There were a few red flags around Kittredge that could have contributed to the Cardinals' choice not to offer him a contract for 2025, or at least not one of significant value. Aside from the fact that Kittredge will be 35 in mid-March, he allowed a higher barrel rate than in previous years and owned a low .265 BABIP, suggesting that a drop-off could be in store.

The Cardinals are still looking for a veteran relief pitcher to replace Kittredge and stabilize the bridge to closer Ryan Helsley, ideally one who costs less than how much Kittredge would have demanded. There are still plenty of unsigned relief pitchers on the market, including former Cardinal Keynan Middleton, who, despite being on the shelf for all of 2024, played a vital role in mentoring Cardinals pitching prospect Tink Hence during spring training last year.

Maybe those in the Cardinals front office chose not to re-sign Kittredge because they saw something in his stats that they didn't like, or maybe it was just blind luck. Whatever the reason, the Cardinals and their fans can breathe a sigh of relief that their relief corps are still intact — for now.