3 players on Cardinals holiday wish list ahead of MLB Winter Meetings

3. Joe Kelly

Kelly is another familiar face who could potentially find his way back to St. Louis. He and Lance Lynn were recently teammates with the Chicago White Sox and Los Angeles Dodgers. They were also teammates in St. Louis.

Lynn is now back in St. Louis, so there would certainly be connections with the Cardinals for Kelly.

During his time with the White Sox in 2023, Kelly posted a 4.97 ERA, struggling over 31 appearances. However, in 11 appearances with the Dodgers, Kelly posted an ERA of 1.74 and helped guide them back to the postseason.

Kelly reached the World Series with the Cardinals in 2013 and later won two rings, one with the Boston Red Sox and another during his first stint as a Dodger.

During the regular season, Kelly averaged 13.7 strikeouts per nine innings, so he would provide some of the swing-and-miss that the Cardinals have been looking for. One concern would be that he averaged 4.1 walks per nine innings.

However, Kelly is a familiar face and somebody who can be trusted to get the job done in high-leverage situations. He was also a fan favorite during his time in St. Louis.