3 St. Louis Cardinals free agents who will leave, 2 who will return in 2024
By Mark Powell
Drew VerHagen should be back with the Cardinals next season
If St. Louis is smart they will keep Drew VerHagen around, as he was one of the only bullpen pieces who regularly succeeded in 2023. VerHagen had a sub-4 ERA in one of the more unpredictable bullpens in baseball. Because he is a free agent, the Cards will have to pay up. Spotrac estimates his value at just under $3 million, and Josh Jacobs of Redbird Rants believes there's a chance he leaves for greener pastures:
"In 60 games for St. Louis, VerHagen was 5-1 with a 3.98 ERA, providing them with an arm that could be called upon throughout the year, giving them a mix of high-leverage innings when needed, and filling out those middle innings otherwise...I see a world where VerHagen is back with the Cardinals next year on a new deal, but in all likelihood, another team will likely swoop him up this offseason. He has really good stuff, so a team like the Dodgers, Rays, or another tech-savvy team will want to get their hands on him on a cheap deal," Jacobs wrote.
VerHagen is a capable middle-inning relief pitcher at his best. On a contending team that invests in pitching, he should be someone the Cardinals can rely on. Mozeliak has stated improving the pitching staff is a goal of his this offseason. Keeping VerHagen around would be a step in the right direction.