Cardinals Announce Agreement With Key Reliever
The St. Louis Cardinals have agreed to a one-year deal with veteran right-hander Chris Stratton for the 2023 season to avoid arbitration.
Stratton came over to St. Louis from the Pittsburgh Pirates in the Jose Quintana deal at the trade deadline.
After posting a 5.09 ERA in Pittsburgh, Stratton pitched admirably in St. Louis, going 5-0 with a 2.78 ERA.
Stratton was strangely left off the postseason roster when the Cardinals took on the Philadelphia Phillies in the National League Wild Card Series.
Last night, the Cardinals announced the news of the agreement on Twitter.
The deadline to tender contracts to arbitration-eligible players is tonight at 8 p.m. Eastern Time.
We have agreed to terms with RHP Chris Stratton on a one-year contract for the upcoming 2023 season. pic.twitter.com/OF3DnRkEfv
— St. Louis Cardinals (@Cardinals) November 17, 2022
Cards Retain Stratton
Stratton was a potential candidate to be non-tendered, but fortunately, the Cardinals liked what they saw out of him down the stretch and have decided to keep him around for at least one more year.
This likely means that Alex Reyes, who is also arbitration-eligible, will not be tendered a contract, thus ending an injury-plagued stint with St. Louis.
Stratton made his MLB debut with the San Francisco Giants in 2016.
In 2018, San Francisco put him in their rotation, where he went 10-10 with a 5.09 ERA.
When the Pirates acquired him in 2019, they converted him to a reliever.
In 2021, the veteran right-hander went 7-1 with a 3.63 ERA in 68 appearances.
The 32-year-old finished the 2022 season with a record of 10-4 and an ERA of 4.26.
St. Louis has a few holes in their bullpen, but tendering a contract to Stratton helps them fill at least one of those holes.