By trading Ryan Helsley, Phil Maton, and Steven Matz to contenders before the trade deadline, the St. Louis Cardinals chose to raise the white flag for the season.
The Cardinals, who are generally still competitive, have been left to pick up the pieces.
Redbird Rants’ Scott Plaza recently expressed his admiration for promising reliever Matt Svanson. Svanson has been instrumental in keeping the Cardinals competitive by filling in for the relievers that were moved at the deadline.
Matt Svanson turning heads as a lockdown reliever in St. Louis
After being brought up and sent down to the minor leagues five times this season, Svanson, a 2021 13th-round draft selection, must remain on the MLB roster or face waivers. It is quite unlikely that Svanson will be optioned again this season given his performance so far and the team’s lack of postseason prospects,” Plaza said. His season-long numbers have exceeded all expectations, particularly for a bullpen that has been bereft of solutions since losing three of its most reliable pitchers.
“In 31 games and 48.2 innings pitched this season, the 26-year-old right-hander has a 3-0 record and a 2.03 ERA with St. Louis. He has an above-average strikeout percentage and has limited hard contact well, demonstrating that those figures are not a coincidence or a result of good fortune. Svanson has demonstrated a strong track record of performance as a top-tier reliever beyond the 2025 campaign.
Although Svanson isn’t a very good closer, he has established a reliable position in the bullpen and is currently doing admirably there. We couldn’t have said that about the righty earlier in the season, but he has earned a place in the major league bullpen going forward.
The Cardinals needed some pitchers to step up after dealing away their bullpen arms that were about to expire. Despite the dismal start to the season, Svanson has been one of St. Louis’ more reliable pitchers.
Although they will probably rely more on him the following season, he already seems prepared.
