5 former St. Louis Cardinals who should come back home this offseason
By Curt Bishop
2. Jordan Hicks
Another viable reliever that was traded away at the deadline was right-hander Jordan Hicks.
Hicks has a high-upside arm and can even touch triple digits with his fastball. He made his Major League debut with the Cardinals in 2018, and after multiple arm injuries, he returned to form late last season.
Hicks took over as the team's closer when Helsley went down. Adding him back would give the Cardinals three options for the closer's role, with the other two being Helsley and Gallegos.
The back end of the bullpen would then be a major strength for the Cardinals as they try to pick up the pieces and rebound in 2024.
Hicks had an ERA of 3.29 during the regular season. The Cardinals traded him to the Toronto Blue Jays at the deadline, which further thinned the team's bullpen depth, but got St. Louis a few pitching prospects in return.
But with money to spend and lessons hopefully learned, the Cardinals may be able to bring the 27-year-old flamethrower back to St. Louis.
In 25 appearances with the Blue Jays, Hicks had an impressive 2.63 ERA and proved to be a weapon out of their bullpen as well.