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Cardinals: 3 best high-leverage free agent relievers to sign

By Tim Boyle

Sep 17, 2018; Atlanta, GA, USA; Detailed view of a St. Louis Cardinals hat and glove in the dugout against the Atlanta Braves in the first inning at SunTrust Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 17, 2018; Atlanta, GA, USA; Detailed view of a St. Louis Cardinals hat and glove in the dugout against the Atlanta Braves in the first inning at SunTrust Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports /
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St. Louis Cardinals rumors
Aug 3, 2021; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago White Sox relief pitcher Ryan Tepera (51) celebrates with first baseman Jose Abreu (79) after delivering a final out against the Kansas City Royals during the ninth inning at Guaranteed Rate Field. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports /

2. What Ryan Tepera could do in the Cardinals bullpen as a high-leverage reliever

If handedness doesn’t matter much to the Cardinals and they believe they can get enough from Cabrera and McFarland, they could instead pivot to only looking at righties. Ryan Tepera is one of those free agent righties teams looking to upgrade their bullpen will look at. Now 34, he’s a bit older than Chafin and yet another guy who the Cubs traded away last year after finding some success on the Northside of the Windy City.

Tepera has also enjoyed a successful career pitching mostly high-leverage late innings and occasionally getting a chance to earn a save. He cut his bones with the Toronto Blue Jays from 2015-19 before joining the Cubs in 2020.

He made the most of his free-agent campaign in 2021, combining for a 2.79 ERA with the Cubs and Chicago White Sox. A lifetime total of 9.3 strikeouts per nine innings, he could certainly get big outs for the Cardinals in the seventh or eighth.

Despite his age, Tepera hasn’t shown signs of slowing down. He’s entering this season with just under 300 big league innings (he’s at 297.1) so the argument could be made that he has less wear and tear on his body than many other relievers his age. A shorter-term deal, something with a third-year option at the most, could be exactly what the Cardinals are looking for.

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