For the first time in his career, 34-year-old relief pitcher Andrew Kittredge is set to hit free agency this offseason. The right hander is coming off a strong season with the St. Louis Cardinals. Kittredge is now an unrestricted free agent and should have plenty of suitors this offseason.
First Time Free Agent Reliever Should Have Plenty Of Suiters
Kittredge’s Strong 2024
The Cardinals traded for Kittredge from the Tampa Bay Rays in January of this year for minor league outfielder Richie Palacios. 2024 was the reliever’s first season away from the Rays.
Kittredge pitched in more games this season than any other season of his career. The right-hander pitched in 74 games and posted a 2.80 ERA. The ERA was better than his career average of 3.44. Kittredge pitched 70.2 innings and struck out 67 batters. He struck out more batters than he allowed hits, giving up just 60 base hits all year.
The thing Kittredge did better than almost any MLB pitcher was getting batters to chase pitches out of the zone. He got batters to chase out of the zone 38.9 percent of the time. His chase rate was the highest in Major League Baseball among pitchers who faced at least 250 batters.
The Kind Of Deal Kittredge Will Command
The market should be strong for a pitcher of Kittredge’s ability. Most MLB teams are in search of relief pitching every offseason. With Kittredge proving he can pitch several times a week in 2024 and do so with efficiency, contending teams should make the call to his agent.
In his final year of arbitration, he ended up earning $2.6 million with the Cardinals. Over his eight-year career, Kittredge has earned just over $8 million. He should command about that in 2025 alone.
In the 2023/24 season, 11 relief pitchers signed deals worth at least $8 million annually. One was Nick Martinez, who pitched 63 games with the San Diego Padres in 2023 with a 3.43 ERA, though he did pitch 110.1 innings. Like Kittredge, Martinez was 34 when he signed a two-year, $26 million contract with the Cincinnati Reds.
Another good comparison to last season’s free agency for Kittredge is Wandy Peralta. Peralta pitched 63 innings in 2023 at a 2.83 ERA with the New York Yankees. He then signed a four-year $16.5 million contract with the Padres. While the annual money is lower than that of Martinez, the 33-year-old was able to secure a four-year deal.
Based on the free agent deals from last season, Kittredge will have a choice between less money annually, a longer-term deal, and a shorter-term deal with more money per season.
Teams That Will Be Interested
Contending teams looking to spar with the Yankees or Los Angeles Dodgers will be looking to add some bullpen depth. The Yankees or the Dodgers would be likely to need some bullpen depth as well. Teams like the New York Mets, Kansas City Royals, Detroit Tigers, Baltimore Orioles, and Atlanta Braves are all playoff teams from 2024 that will be interested in adding relief depth.
Teams that missed the playoffs last year but have hopes for the postseason in 2025 will also likely be interested in Kittredge. Others like the Texas Rangers, Boston Red Sox, Chicago Cubs, and Arizona Diamondbacks are all likely to be interested in bullpen pitchers like Kittredge.
After waiting eight years to get to free agency, Kittredge may take the highest bidder. However, if he chooses to go somewhere he feels he can play into the postseason, he will have plenty of options as well.
Main Photo Credits: Rafael Suanes-Imagn Images
