Heartbreak: The greatest St.Louis Cardinals player of all time has terminated his contract to sign a new contract.
Jordan Hicks, the relief pitcher for the St. Louis Cardinals, is a strong contender to get a contract extension soon. However, considering his impending free agency this winter, he might find a new home soon if the two parties are unable to reach a consensus.
“It is believed that an extension could be finalized within the next day,” said Katie Woo of The Athletic. The Cardinals would most likely move Hicks by the deadline if a deal could not be struck.”
Competitors from throughout baseball will place bids for his services if he does become available.
With a 3.67 ERA, 1.51 WHIP, 59 strikeouts in 41.2 innings (40 appearances) and eight saves in 11 chances, the 26-year-old reliever is 1-6 on the year. But as Woo pointed out, after switching to a full-time closer role, he has a 2.03 ERA, saved eight of his last nine chances.
Hicks, who boasts a wicked slider and a sinker that can reach 100 mph, has a lot of promise as a lockdown closer in the future. That might make him a valuable addition to the bullpen of a rival team. He becomes a strong contender for an extension as a result.
The Cardinals are 45-56 on the season and have previously admitted that they need to shake up the core of the roster, so their reasons for dealing him are rather straightforward.
“We just know that this club isn’t operating intact at where it is right now,” John Mozeliak, president of baseball operations, stated to reporters on July 17. “We do know we have to make some changes.”
“If we can find talent that we think can help emerge in 2024, that’d be great,” he stated. “2025? Nor would I rule that out. However, 2026 seems a long way off.
In exchange for dealing him now, the Cardinals might be able to re-sign him in the winter and acquire some starting pitching prospects. Hicks has expressed his intention to stick with the team in the past.
He said to reporters last week, “This is where I want to be.” “I love it here.”
Furthermore, it can be dangerous to offer relievers lucrative extensions. Even though elite closers are still prized, bullpen arms typically fluctuate more from season to season than other positions.
Over his career, Hicks has missed 12 saves out of 40 chances. Although he has some bad stuff, he is not a lock to be a top closer for many years to come. One could argue that acquiring prospects for him now is a better idea than taking a big financial risk, especially considering that he might sign in the winter following any deal.
Just as clear are the advantages of signing him to an extension.
The Cardinals could retain one of the team’s more intriguing closers in the future and wouldn’t have to risk losing him for nothing in free agency. They may keep onto a pitcher with really nasty stuff and move other guys to reload the farm system and shuffle the roster. Furthermore, trading him might infuriate him to the point where the Cardinals are no longer in the running come free agency, ending the possibility of “having your cake and eating it too”.
The Cardinals may legitimately pursue either option, which makes him one of the most intriguing players to keep an eye on before the trade deadline of August 1.
