Yankees Shallow Bullpen Suspended; The Cardinals' $7 million hurler should be pursued

The St. Louis Cardinals haven't come close to making the playoffs this season, but they have something the New York Yankees wished they had on Thursday night against the Cleveland Guardians.

In an instant fall classic Thursday, Yankees closer Luke Weaver gave up a 5-3 lead in the bottom of the ninth inning before Clay Holmes gave up a two-run walk-off home run to David Fry in the tenth inning.

It had to happen. The Yankees had Weaver under control for as long as possible until the Cardinals' former first-round pick's fatigue likely caught up with him, leading to the epic downfall that gave Cleveland a new life in the American League Championship Series.

The Yankees need to add another high-leverage hurler this offseason to prevent a repeat of Thursday night's bullpen crash, and Cardinals right-handed pitcher Andrew Kittredge would be a logical solution.

Kittredge has a record of 23-12 with a 3.44 ERA, a 273-76 strikeout-to-walk ratio, a .247 batting average and a 1.21 WHIP during his eight-year career between his time with the Tampa Bay Rays and fielded Cardinals.

The 34-year-old was crucial to the Cardinals' No. 7 bullpen, which posted a 3.64 ERA. Kittredge was used in high-leverage situations for St. Louis and did not disappoint.

The All-Star reliever posted a 5-5 record with a 2.80 ERA, a 67-to-20 strikeout-to-walk ratio, a .228 batting average and a 1.13 whip in 70 2/3 innings for the Cardinals in 2024.

Despite being a reliable, experienced hurler who would add significant value to any team's bullpen, Kittredge has a surprisingly cheap projected market value of about $7 million on a one-year deal, according to Spotrac.

If the Yankees are serious about keeping Weaver as a closer through 2025, they will need to add at least one more setup man to pave the way for him to get the last three outs of a game — not the last six. Kittredge could be that asset.

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