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New Cardinals Set-Up Man Will Likely Be an Internal Option

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JoJo Romero's solid performance out of the Cardinals bullpen last season makes him a viable internal option to take over the set-up role.

As the St. Louis Cardinals sit dormant in free agency, one major reliever role looks like it will be filled internally. With the departure of Andrew Kittredge to the Baltimore Orioles in free agency, the Cardinals have now lost their set-up man for much of last year. Kittredge, who posted a 2.80 ERA through 74 appearances last year, was vital to the Cardinals’ elite bullpen.

The combination of JoJo Romero, Kittredge, and All-Star closer Ryan Helsley provided a semblance of stability to an incredibly inconsistent Cardinals team.

Yet, as the Cardinals enter a period of transition and re-tooling, they have made it clear that they are not willing to spend a sizable chunk of their payroll on improving the roster. They will depend upon internal options, especially young, unproven players, to keep the team afloat for the time being.

In all likelihood, Kittredge’s pivotal role in the bullpen will be taken by someone already present on the roster. The good news is that the Cardinals already have a few options who can shoulder this burden.

Cardinals Set-Up Options Within the Organization

JoJo Romero

Romero, who the Cardinals acquired from the Philadelphia Phillies in 2022 for Edmundo Sosa, took on the seventh-inning role for much of last season. While he struggled with consistency at times, Romero would be the most obvious option to take over the set-up role in 2025.

Through 65 appearances, Romero posted a 3.36 ERA and a 1.153 WHIP. He excelled at forcing contact on the ground, ranking in the 83rd percentile of groundball percentage.

His four-seam fastball, sinker, and slider are all solid pitches, but his changeup fell flat last season, accumulating a -6 run value. Along with Miles Mikolas and Steven Matz, Romero ranked in the bottom 3% of all pitchers who threw a changeup last year.

Romero’s current usage rate on his changeup is 17.1%, an inordinately high number for its poor effectiveness. If Romero is going to transition successfully into the set-up role, he will need to lean more into his sinker and slider to avoid the big innings he allowed last season.

Ryan Fernandez

Ryan Fernandez, 26, was a major pickup for the Cardinals last season out of the Rule 5 Draft. Through 62 appearances, mostly in middle relief, Fernandez posted a 3.51 ERA with 71 strikeouts and a 1.350 WHIP.

Throughout the course of the season, Fernandez proved to be one of the Cardinals’ most consistent relievers. He excelled at missing bats and forcing soft contact. In his first major league season, Fernandez was in the 88th and 84th percentile among pitchers for Whiff% and Hard Hit%, respectively.

His slider produced a run value of 9, putting him just outside the top 10 in the MLB in that category.

While his four-seam fastball is not exceptionally fast, sitting at around 95.5 mph, Fernandez’s wipeout slider could position him to be an effective set-up man for the Cardinals heading into 2025.

Matthew Liberatore

Matthew Liberatore, 25, was once a highly-touted starting pitching prospect. However, he struggled with injuries and consistency as a starter and, since moving to the bullpen last season, has been able to revitalize his career in a new role.

On the surface, his stats do not reflect any sort of excellence. Through 60 appearances, Liberatore posted a 4.40 ERA with a 1.267 WHIP. However, the few spot starts he undertook throughout the season partially inflated these numbers. In 54 appearances as a reliever, Liberatore posted a 3.69 ERA, compared to a 6.35 ERA in his six appearances as a starter.

For a variety of reasons, Liberatore’s arsenal and intensity level are better suited for the bullpen, and the ability with which he took on high-leverage situations last season was impressive.

While he is the least likely to earn the set-up role out of these three pitchers, he may very well make a push for it if he can continue developing and leaning into his role in the bullpen.

 

Photo Credit: © Tim Vizer-Imagn Images

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