An MLB insider’s free agent proposal for the Cardinals makes way too much sense

Sometimes national insiders or content creators throw out wild ideas that don’t actually make sense for the teams they’re GMing. But in this case, I think Mark Feinsand nailed his pitch for the St. Louis Cardinals.

Over at MLB.com, Feinsand identified a free agent for each club that he felt “made sense” for them this offseason. No, Feinsand hasn’t officially linked the Cardinals to this free agent, but Feinsand’s suggestion made a lot of sense given the direction the Cardinals are headed.

Feinsand suggested that the Cardinals target right-handed reliever Clay Holmes in free agency, who has been a reliable late-inning reliever for the New York Yankees for several years. Feinsand emphasized that the Cardinals will likely trade Ryan Helsley and lose Andrew Kittredge in free agency this offseason, which will leave a small hole in the back of their bullpen.

Frankly, the drill Feinsand went through was a difficult task for a team like the Cardinals. The club is openly touting itself as a quiet team this offseason, with the “biggest” moves it is considering being “seller” moves, trading Helsley or Nolan Arenado. Still, Holmes really makes sense for the club.

John Mozeliak has made it pretty clear that he doesn’t want to back down in his final year running the show for St. Louis. Will profit come first in 2025? No. But they certainly want to surprise some people with the quality of baseball they play, and if they do that while trading a Helsley and not bringing Kittredge back, then a closer like Holmes would help them a lot.

Holmes appeared in 67 games for the Yankees that year, posting a 3.14 ERA and 3.02 FIP in those 63 innings. Holmes throws hard and is masterful at inducing ground balls (64.6%) while also being well above average when it comes to striking out batters. Honestly, it really fits what the Cardinals like in their pitchers.

As of 2021, Holmes has a 3.05 ERA, so the track record is there. He’s not one of the most notable backup players in the game, but he was definitely one of the best in the league during this stretch.

For all the reasons the Cardinals would like to have him, many other clubs would probably have him as well, and he’ll likely get a lucrative multi-year deal as a result. MLB trade rumors projected he would get three years and $30 million on the open market, which isn’t a cheap deal for a reliever. Depending on how aggressive teams are in the market for names like Helsley, Devin Williams, Ryan Pressly and other available assets, Holmes may be one of the most sought-after names on the replacement market.

Still, there are scenarios in which contenders fill some of their closer roles with other names, and Holmes could be faced with the choice of taking on a contender in another late-inning role or signing with a mid-tier team like the Cardinals in order to close down games.

The other side of this is also that if the Cardinals struggle in 2025 but Holmes is business as usual, they will likely be able to sign him at the deadline for a good return. If the Cardinals do have a falling out, Holmes will likely be a big part of it. And if the deal doesn’t work out, it’s not a move that would prevent them from succeeding in their actual competitive window in 2026 and beyond.

Holmes doesn’t seem like a likely addition to me, but I really like Feinsand’s suggestion. Here’s hoping it becomes noticeable as the offseason progresses.