Free Agent Reliever Keynan Middleton joins Cardinals on one-year deal
Veteran right-hander adds to team's bullpen depth
ST. LOUIS, Mo. –The St. Louis Cardinals announced Saturday that they have agreed on a one-year contract with free-agent right-handed reliever Keynan Middleton – their 10th pitching addition from outside of the organization this off-season. The deal also includes a club option for 2025.
Middleton, 30, is a veteran of seven Major League seasons with the Angels (2017-20), Mariners (2021), Diamondbacks (2022), White Sox (2023) and Yankees (2023). The 6-3, 215-pound Middleton has compiled a career mark of 10-8 with a 3.84 ERA in 205 games with 15 saves and 23 Holds, striking out 199 batters over his 194.1 innings pitched.
“Acquiring additional proven depth for our bullpen was something we have been focused on,” said Cardinals’ President of Baseball Operations John Mozeliak. “Keynan’s experience in getting outs in the back half of games offers us another strong addition to the bullpen mix.”
Middleton split parts of the 2023 season with the White Sox and Yankees where he combined for career-bests with 11.4 strikeouts per 9 IP, a .667 opponent’s OPS and 57.4 groundball pct. He fanned at least one batter in 39 of his 51 appearances last season, including 18 outings with multiple strikeouts and seven with three.
The Portland, Oregon native was a 3rd round draft selection by the Angels in 2013 out of Lane (OR) Community College and made his Major League debut with the Halos in 2017 when he appeared in a career-high 64 games, going 6-1 with three saves as a rookie.