There is still 1 realistic free agent target the Cardinals should consider signing

The St. Louis Cardinals are the only team in Major League Baseball who did not spend a single dollar in free agency this offseason.

Let that sink in.

No, the Cardinals are not going to shock the world now by splashing a bunch of money on the leftover free-agent pool, but a recent report did indicate that the club is still "monitoring" the free-agent relief market, although they seem to be intrigued by enough arms in the camp that it may not amount to any actual moves occurring.

Still, if the Cardinals do decide to get serious about adding another reliever, I would suggest a reunion with the arm they hoped would provide a ton of value on the mound last year but instead was credited as a mentor by both the coaching staff and players whom he had contact with.

The Cardinals would be wise to consider a reunion with Keynan Middleton

Signed last offseason with the intention of being one of their primary setup men alongside JoJo Romero and Andrew Kittredge, Keynan Middleton did not throw a pitch in the regular season for St. Louis due to season-ending flexor repair surgery in his right forearm. The season prior, Middleton posted a 3.38 ERA and 11.37 K/9 in 51 appearances for the White Sox and Yankees.

Whenever a free agent signing fails to make even a single appearance for your club, it is a pretty underwhelming transaction. I'm still glad the Cardinals tried it, but it just ended up not working out for the club. While that is the case here, Middleton did go out of his way to provide value off the field for St. Louis, poring into their pitchers throughout the year and almost being viewed as another "coach" on their staff.

One of the Cardinals' top pitching prospects, Tink Hence, recently praised Middleton for how he helped Hence work on his slider grip as well as grow in the mental side of his game as a pitcher. That's pretty significant considering the fact that Middleton and Hence did not get to cross paths much during the 2024 season.

The Cardinals bullpen is set to be a fairly young group in 2025, with Ryan Helsley actually being the oldest member of the group at almost 31 years old. Nick Anderson could provide a veteran presence if he makes the roster, but outside of that, their bullpen is set to be filled with a lot of young arms.

I like that. Honestly, the more the merrier. But I do see the value in having one or two guys around who can pour into that young group. Helsley can be one of them, but why not add a guy like Middleton to that group, especially when he's proven he can pour into guys before and he has the ability to be a high-leverage reliever when he is right?

I'm pro going out and signing a veteran reliever like Middleton if the Cardinals believe he can have that same positive impact on the club while also producing on the field. But if they don't do it and roll with a youthful bullpen, I'm cool with that as well.