3 former Cardinals free agents it’s not too late to bring back
By Curt Bishop
The St. Louis Cardinals head into the 2024 season with one goal in mind, to erase the memory of their first last place finish since 1990.
The Cardinals have been quite busy this winter in terms of addressing their pitching staff. They signed three starters and added reliever Andrew Kittredge in a trade with the Tampa Bay Rays.
At the very least, they should bounce back into contention in a weak NL Central division. But what they currently have isn't enough to win a World Series.
While the rotation is more or less set, it isn't going to be able to compete with that of the Los Angeles Dodgers. The same can be said about their bullpen. They'll need to make at least one more addition on the pitching side in order to be considered title contenders.
3. Cardinals could bring back Andrew Knizner
Knizner is obviously not a pitching addition. The only time he pitched was in a lopsided game against the Atlanta Braves in 2022. He served as the team's backup catcher from 2020-23.
The Cardinals non-tendered the young catcher in order to make room for Ivan Herrera, who is currently set to claim backup catcher duties for St. Louis. But it wouldn't hurt for the Cardinals to have an insurance policy.
Knizner vastly improved at the plate and is somebody who knows the Cardinals pitching staff very well, having studied under Yadier Molina for three seasons. Signing Knizner wouldn't exactly move the needle, but it could be well within their price range as they look for other ways to improve on the mound.
It certainly can't hurt to potentially keep a guy who knows the pitching staff well around for at least one more season.