MLB Rumors: Ranking 3 relievers Cardinals have been connected to

The St. Louis Cardinals came into the 2023-24 offseason with a keen understanding of how important it was to upgrade their pitching staff, both in the rotation and in the bullpen. Thus far, they've done a solid job, signing Sonny Gray, Lance Lynn and Kyle Gibson as starters and recently landing former All-Star Andrew Kittredge in a trade with the Rays.

However, Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak has indicated that the team isn't done shopping this offseason. While that could mean looking for another starter or finding a new bat to insert into the lineup, St. Louis has been oft-connected to relievers of late, before and after the Kittredge trade.

Katie Woo of The Athletic ($) recently noted that the top of the reliever market with Josh Hader, Hector Neris and even a potential reunion with Jordan Hicks is likely out of St. Louis' price range. With that being said, there are three other relief pitchers who the Cardinals have been connected to, so let's rank the trio against one another as the best options for the Red Birds.

3. Ryan Brasier is too big of a risk for the Cardinals

Ask any Boston Red Sox fan and they'll tell you that right-hander Ryan Brasier was the bane of their existence coming out of the bullpen in recent years. That's why he was ultimately DFA'd during the 2023 season, which ultimately led to him being picked up by the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Once Brasier arrived in the City of Angels, though, everything flipped. He became one of the best relievers in baseball, posting a 0.70 ERA and 0.724 WHIP over 39 appearances for the Dodgers, a stark contrast to the 7.29 ERA he had in 2023 with Boston. Now a free agent this offseason, though, the Cardinals are part of a busy market for Brasier.

MLB insider Jon Heyman reported on Friday that the Cardinals, Dodgers, Baltimore Orioles, Texas Rangers, Chicago Cubs and Los Angeles Angels are all in on Brasier in free agency.

Given what he did in LA, it's no surprise to see a strong market for Brasier, especially since he's likely to still come relatively cheap. Having said that, the number of bidders for his services could drive up the price a bit more than the Cardinals should feel comfortable paying.

Brasier's overall track record isn't one to write home about. He flashed in 2018 with the Red Sox as an inexperienced arm for the eventual World Series champions and started earning higher-leverage opportunities. But outside of a blip on the radar in 2021 over 13 appearances, Brasier never recaptured that promise in Boston, including posting a 5.78 ERA in 2022 before the 7.29 blowup that led to his release this past year.

Maybe the Dodgers unlocked something with Brasier, but any team that signs the 36-year-old will be taking a gamble that's the case. With the competitive market, that could make this an overpay for a player who isn't 100%, or even close to it, to deliver the results he did at the end of last season.