2 cost efficient relievers the Cardinals can sign with Jordan Hicks off the board

The St. Louis Cardinals may or may not be in the mix for Dylan Cease, even after acquiring three starting pitchers. However, the bullpen is another area that needs to be addressed.

St. Louis grabbed Andrew Kittredge in a trade with the Tampa Bay Rays, adding some upside to their pen. Aside from that move, the Cardinals have been quiet in the relief market. Fortunately, the market is moving very slowly this winter, which means that there are still plenty of viable relievers on the free agent market that they could target.

The bullpen was just as big of a problem for St. Louis as the rotation was in 2023. Due to the lack of innings eaten by starters, the bullpen was overexposed and ultimately cost the Cardinals several games. At the end of the season, the Cardinals' pitching staff was fully depleted. They finished with a record of 71-91 and secured their first last-place finish since 1990.

With five weeks left until pitchers and catchers report to spring training, the time is now for St. Louis to add an arm or two to their bullpen.

Former Cardinal Jordan Hicks came off the board today, signing a four-year, $44 million deal with the San Francisco Giants. Josh Hader and Hector Neris are also unlikely, given that they are seeking a minimum AAV of $10 million.

According to Katie Woo of The Athletic, the Cardinals, if they do add a reliever via free agency, are looking for pitchers worth around a $5 million AAV. Once again, St. Louis is being extra conservative with their budget.

Here are two options for the Cardinals if they do indeed intend to add a reliever in free agency, and how they would fit in with the team's current core of relievers.

Phil Maton could be a fit for the Cardinals

In Woo's article, Maton was mentioned as a fit for St. Louis. The veteran right-hander is somebody the Cardinals have been linked to for much of the offseason.

The 30-year-old has split time with the San Diego Padres, Cleveland Guardians, and Houston Astros. He played a key role in delivering the Astros their second World Series title.

2023 was his best season to date. In 68 appearances, Maton posted a 3.00 ERA and compiled a 4-3 record. Better yet, he possesses the swing-and-miss capability, which the Cardinals made clear they were looking for at the start of the offseason. Maton averaged 10.1 strikeouts per nine innings in 2023.

Maton can certainly be trusted in high-leverage spots toward the end of games, and he would give St. Louis a massive boost at the back end of their bullpen. Ryan Helsley, Giovanny Gallegos, and JoJo Romero are all solid options but add Maton to the mix and you have a very dangerous back end of the pen.

At this point, an addition such as this wouldn't make the Cardinals World Series contenders, but it would give them a slightly better chance to compete with some of the better teams in the National League.