Both Keynan Middleton and the St. Louis Cardinals had dreams of the right-hander having a high-leverage role on a contending team in 2024. Both Middleton and the Cardinals fell short of those goals. Middleton missed the entire 2024 season due to injuries and the Cardinals missed the postseason entirely. Now, Middleton will enter free agency in search of the same goal with a different team.
Hard-Throwing Reliever In Search Of New Team After Lost Season
Middleton’s Time With The Cardinals
Middleton signed a one-year $5 million deal with the Cardinals last offseason that included a club option for 2025. The team turned down that club option, and as a result still owes him $1 million for the upcoming season.
The hard-throwing reliever never pitched for the Cardinals at the Major League Level. Middleton hit the IL before the season started with a right forearm flexor strain. In May, Middleton started a rehab assignment with the Cardinals Double-A affiliate in Springfield, MO. Middleton made five appearances with the Springfield Cardinals, pitched four innings, and compiled a 2.25 ERA.
On June 5, the Cardinals announced that Middleton would undergo season-ending surgery on his right forearm. The surgery ended his season. The Cardinals still hoped Middleton would contribute to the team in 2025.
“In order for him to have any shot of being ready for 2025, it’s the best option,” said Cardinals Manager Oliver Marmol at the time.
Since then, the Cardinals plans have changed. The organization is entering a soft rebuild and focusing on developing young talent. Middleton no longer fits into those plans.
What Middleton Brings
Middleton has had a short, journeyman career. Middleton came up with the Los Angeles Angels. He has also appeared with the Seattle Mariners, Arizona Diamondbacks, Chicago White Sox and New York Yankees in a seven-year career.
In 2023, Middleton started the season with the White Sox and was traded mid-season to the Yankees. He put together a strong season. He had a 3.38 ERA in 51 games with the two teams. In just 50.2 innings in 2023 he struck out 64.
Middleton was in the top 10 percentile of the league in 2023 for strikeout percentage at 30.2 percent and the lowest rate of hard-hit balls off him at 31.5 percent. He was also in the top three percentile of the league with an average exit velocity of 85.3 miles per hour.
Middleton’s most frequently used pitch in 2023 was the changeup, which he used 43 percent of the time. It was mainly used to keep batters on their toes against his 95.5 mph fastball and 85.8 mph slider. Between the changeup and the slider, he had an off-speed run value of four, which put him in the top 15th percentile of the league.
The right-hander can bring a high-leverage arm to the late innings of a contending team as he did in 2023 with the Yankees. He consistently finds the strike zone with each of his three pitches that come in at different speeds and keep batters guessing.
What’s Next For Middleton
Middleton made more money last season than the rest of his career combined. It was his first year as a free agent and he turned that into $5 million on a short-term deal. Without putting anything new for MLB clubs to see in 2024, he’s likely to only find a short-team deal again in 2025. However, that may suit the 31-year-old former third-round draft pick. If he can put together a strong season on a short-term deal in 2025, he may still be able to find a long-term deal in 2026 and beyond.
Middleton will be a low-cost, potentially high-reward option for a team looking to shore up its bullpen for a postseason run in 2025. He should be healthy for Spring Training. It remains to be seen how much his injury will impact his performance. However, no setbacks have been reported in his rehab.
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 Mets, Royals, Detroit Tigers, Orioles, and Braves are all playoff teams from 2024 that will be interested in adding relief depth.
Main Photo Credits: Brett Davis-Imagn Images
