The St. Louis Cardinals’ bullpen is starting to take shape, but there’s still plenty of work to be done-and President of Baseball Operations Chaim Bloom knows it. The recent addition of left-hander Justin Bruihl adds another arm to the mix, but as the roster stands today, this is a young, largely unproven relief corps with room-and need-for a veteran presence.
Manager Oliver Marmol will be working with a bullpen that includes JoJo Romero, Riley O’Brien, and Matt Svanson as potential late-inning options. Ryan Fernandez, Chris Roycroft, Matt Pushard, and Gordon Graceffo are all in the mix, while Tink Hence, Andre Pallante, and Andre Granillo offer additional depth. The group is short on experience-Romero leads the way with just five years of service time, and O’Brien, at 31, is the elder statesman of the bunch.
It’s clear that this bullpen could use a stabilizing force-someone who’s been through the grind, knows how to navigate high-leverage situations, and can give Marmol a trustworthy option when the game’s on the line. That’s where Ryne Stanek enters the conversation.
Stanek, a 34-year-old right-hander, is drawing interest from multiple clubs this offseason, particularly within the National League Central. And for a Cardinals team looking for a veteran arm with upside, he checks a lot of boxes.
Now, let’s be honest-Stanek’s recent numbers won’t jump off the page. He’s coming off a rough 2025 season with the Mets, where he posted a 5.30 ERA over 65 appearances and 56 innings.
His strikeout rate (9.3 K/9) was solid, but a 5.1 BB/9 and a 1.571 WHIP made for some shaky outings. He hasn’t posted an ERA under 4.00 since 2022, and his bWAR has been in the red the past two years.
But here’s the thing: underneath those surface-level struggles, there’s still a lot to like.
Stanek’s fastball averaged 98.5 mph last season-good for the 96th percentile in MLB. That kind of velocity doesn’t just show up on radar guns; it creates real problems for hitters.
His fastball has more vertical rise than most right-handed heaters, giving it a flatter plane that can miss bats up in the zone. And when he pairs it with his slider-which generated a whiff rate north of 45% and held opponents to a .163 batting average-Stanek becomes a legitimate swing-and-miss threat.
For a Cardinals bullpen that’s lacked a true whiff-generator since Ryan Helsley’s departure, Stanek’s profile is exactly what they’ve been missing. He’s not just a flamethrower-he’s got the stuff to get big outs when it matters most.
There are also a couple of personal ties that could make St. Louis a natural landing spot.
Stanek was born in St. Louis, and while he played his college ball at Arkansas, a return home might hold some appeal.
More notably, Chaim Bloom was part of the Tampa Bay Rays front office that drafted Stanek back in 2013. From his role in player development through Stanek’s debut in 2017, Bloom had a front-row seat to the right-hander’s growth.
That kind of familiarity could go a long way in getting a deal done.
There’s no doubt Stanek would be something of a reclamation project, but the ingredients for a bounce-back are there. If he can rein in the walks and maintain his strikeout numbers, he could become a high-leverage weapon again. He’s also got experience closing games-14 career saves-and his postseason résumé adds another layer of value, especially if the Cardinals find themselves in the playoff hunt come summer.
In a bullpen full of youth and potential, Stanek could be the steadying, high-octane presence this group needs. The Cardinals don’t just need arms-they need experience, strikeouts, and someone who’s been through the fire. Stanek might just be the right fit at the right time.
