Just four teams in Major League Baseball posted a worse strikeout rate from their relief pitchers than the Cardinals did last season.
While the front office moved quickly and in a calculated manner this offseason to address holes in the starting rotation, the Cardinals also knew they lagged woefully behind most of the big leagues in swing-and-miss ability once the bullpen door swung open.
That’s part of what made an attractive option this winter. Middleton, 30, ranked among the major-league leaders in strikeout rate as well as limiting hard contact. If Middleton sustains the type of performance he showed last season, he provides the elements the Cardinals need.
Middleton signed a one-year contract Saturday to join the Cardinals, and the deal also includes a club option for 2025. The one-year deal will pay Middleton $6 million and a total of $11 million if the Cardinals exercise the option year, according to ’s Robert Murray.
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The Cardinals designated right-handed reliever Guillermo Zuñiga for assignment in a corresponding roster move necessary to add Middleton, who was a free agent, to their 40-man roster.
While the Cardinals explored several options in the relief pitching market this offseason, president of baseball operations John Mozeliak said they considered Middleton a “target.â€
The club made its priority the additions of starting pitchers Sonny Gray, Lance Lynn and Kyle Gibson. Then the front office turned its attention to the bullpen.
Mozeliak and Middleton’s agent spoke during the GM meetings in November, and they remained in dialogue throughout the offseason.
Mozeliak said they did take a pause after they completed a trade with the Tampa Bay Rays to acquire Andrew Kittredge in early January as they examined the bullpen market. At that point, the Cardinals also felt they were dealing from a bit stronger position of leverage.
“I would say that the relief market, in general, was starting to move,†Mozeliak said of the signing. “I’d been in touch with his agent throughout the offseason. Certainly we had interest in a few different relievers over this period, but we were thankful that we were able to get this deal done. We certainly think he will add real depth to our bullpen.
“He gives us some flexibility because he can pitch in different innings and different leverage situations.â€
Some of the experienced free-agent relief pitchers who agreed to deals in the previous week included David Robertson and the Texas Rangers (reportedly one year and $11.5 million); Hector Neris and the Chicago Cubs (one year, $9 million); Adam Ottavino and the New York Mets (one year, $4.5 million); Shintaro Fujinami and the Mets (one year, $3.35 million); as well as Wandy Peralta and the San Diego Padres (four years, $16.5 million).
Middleton’s adjustments
Middleton has spent parts of seven seasons in the majors — all as a reliever — for the Los Angeles Angels, Seattle Mariners, Arizona Diamondbacks and split time in 2023 between the Chicago White Sox and New York Yankees.
He pitched in 51 games last season. He registered an ERA of 3.38 with 64 strikeouts, 40 hits and 23 walks in 50â…” innings. His strikeout rate of 11.4 per nine innings was the highest of his career. He also recorded a walks plus hits per innings pitched (WHIP) of 1.24.
Middleton’s previous best strikeout rate for a season in the majors was 9.7 per nine innings, in his rookie season with the Angles in 2017. He registered a strikeout percentage of 25.6% that season, also his best before 2023.
An increased usage of his changeup this past season — thrown 43% of the time in 2023 compared to 17% in 2022 — seemed to factor heavily into his improved strikeout figures. He ranked among the top 10% of major-league pitchers in strikeout percentage (30.2%) as well as hard hit percentage (31.5%).
The Cardinals believe the jump in Middleton’s strikeout rate is sustainable going forward.
Middleton has pitched at the back end of the bullpen in the past, including last season when he finished 11 games (two saves) in 51 appearances. He’s collected 15 career saves.
A revamped bullpen
Last season, eight of the top 10 teams in regard to strikeouts per nine innings from relief pitchers were playoff clubs.
The Cardinals traded high-octane reliever Jordan Hicks last summer, and Hicks went to the West Coast as a free agent this winter to become a starter.
The Cardinals hope to have former All-Star closer Ryan Helsley (10.5 strikeouts/nine for his career) healthy after an injury-derailed 2023 season. They’re also counting on Giovanny Gallegos (10.7 strikeouts/nine for his career) having ironed out inconsistencies, some apparently related to pitch tipping.
Over the past two seasons, Helsley has ranked third among major-league relievers with a minimum of 80 innings pitched in Fielder Independent Pitching (FIP). He appeared in just 33 games last season, but Helsley’s average fastball velocity (99.7 mph) still sits among the 99th percentile of major-league pitchers.
JoJo Romero, who wasn’t on the opening-day roster in 2023, appeared to emerge as a left-handed back-end option (a career strikeout per nine of 9.5 in the big leagues) last summer.
The Cardinals now have added former Red Sox right-handers Nick Robertson (11.26 strikeouts per nine in the minors) and Ryan Fernandez (10.5 strikeouts per nine), who’ve shown a high tendency to leave opposing hitters scratching their heads as they leave the batter’s box in the minor leagues, and a former All-Star in Kittredge now a year removed from elbow surgery.
Middleton, who has had a similar level of success against right-handed hitting and left-handed hitting opponents throughout his career, now joins the unit.