The Cardinals and Rays agreed to a two-player trade on Friday night that will send former All-Star reliever Andrew Kittredge to St. Louis in exchange for outfielder Richie Palacios. The teams both announced the trade.
Kittredge, 33, has been limited to 31 appearances over the last two years because of Tommy John surgery. He’s remained highly effective when he’s been available, compiling a 3.13 ERA (126 ERA+) and a 6.00 strikeout-to-walk ratio. For his big-league career, he’s amassed a 3.65 ERA (114 ERA+) and a 3.68 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 181 appearances.
It’s worth noting that Kittredge is entering his final year of team control. Barring an extension with the Cardinals, he’ll reach free agency at the conclusion of the 2024 campaign.
Kittredge is the latest notable addition to the Cardinals’ remade pitching staff. Earlier this winter, St. Louis signed three starters (Sonny Gray, Kyle Gibson, and Lance Lynn) over a two-week period. The Cardinals have also tweaked their bullpen by acquiring Nick Robertson in a trade and plucking Ryan Fernandez in the Rule 5 draft. Kittredge is more of a sure thing than either, and it seems likely that he enters the season in a high-leverage role.
Palacios, 26, only joined the Cardinals over the summer by way of the Cleveland Guardians. In 86 career big-league games, he’s batted .244/.299/.390 (93 OPS+) with six home runs and four stolen bases. Palacios connected on 87.4% of his in-zone swings last season, putting him well above the league-average mark in that regard, and he slugged a surprising .516 despite power not normally being part of his game.
Palacios has an option year remaining and could factor into the Rays’ Opening Day roster, depending on what the rest of their winter holds. (Also on Friday, the Rays were rumored to be closing in on another trade, one that would send outfielder Luke Raley to the Seattle Mariners for an infielder.)
