Rays Sign Rumored Cardinals Target To Bolster Bullpen After Stellar Year

The St. Louis Cardinals likely are done adding to the bullpen this offseason unless a surprise move comes around.

St. Louis entered the offseason looking to add to the starting rotation and the bullpen. The Cardinals have done both and certainly are in a much better spot on paper. St. Louis should compete for the National League Central division title with its current roster. 

The Cardinals' biggest move lately has been landing former Los Angeles Angels, Seattle Mariners, Arizona Diamondbacks, Chicago White Sox, and New York Yankees hurler Keynan Middleton to add to the bullpen.

St. Louis was linked to other hurlers but ended up opting for Middleton. Another player St. Louis was linked to was former Houston Astros hurler Phil Maton. While he would've made sense as well for the Cardinals, he also now is off the board as he reportedly landed a deal with the Tampa Bay Rays, according to MLB.com's Mark Feinsand.

"(Right-handed pitcher) Phil Maton is finalizing a deal with the Rays, per source," Feinsand said. "Maton had a 3.00 ERA in 68 appearances for the Astros in 2023."

Maton would've made a lot of sense for the Cardinals after a strong 2023 season, but it sounds like they went in a different direction. St. Louis was mentioned as a fit for Maton on multiple occasions and the club clearly was looking for bullpen help.

The former Astros hurler could've made some sense, but Middleton seems like a better option for them. Maton seemed like a possible fit for the Cardinals but he instead will take the mound with the Rays in 2024.