(ST. LOUIS) — The St. Louis Cardinals bolstered their bullpen Monday by signing free-agent right-hander Ryne Stanek to a one-year contract with a club option for 2027, the team announced.
The Cardinals did not disclose financial terms of the agreement.
Stanek, 34, brings extensive big league experience to St. Louis after spending last season with the New York Mets, where he appeared in 65 games and posted a 4-6 record with three saves and a 5.30 ERA. Despite the elevated ERA, the 6-foot-4, 226-pound pitcher showcased elite velocity, averaging 98.5 mph on his fastball — a figure that ranked in the 96th percentile among major league pitchers in 2025. He struck out 58 batters in 56 innings.
“Ryne brings competitiveness, character, and tremendous experience to our bullpen, along with the high-end stuff he has featured throughout his career,” Cardinals President of Baseball Operations Chaim Bloom said in a statement. “We’re happy that he’s chosen to join the Cardinals and look forward to what he will contribute in every aspect.”
Over eight major league seasons with Tampa Bay, Miami, Houston, Seattle and the Mets, Stanek has compiled a 21-23 record with a 3.85 ERA and 14 saves. He has struck out 531 batters in 458.1 innings across 466 career appearances, the 15th-most among all pitchers since his 2017 debut. He has logged at least 50 appearances in seven different seasons.
The right-hander has proven himself in October, posting a 4-0 record with a 2.89 ERA in 30 career postseason games. He was a member of the 2022 World Series champion Houston Astros, and his 1.15 ERA that regular season set a franchise record for Astros relievers while leading all American League relief pitchers.
Stanek gained notoriety during his time in Tampa Bay, where he made 56 starts as an “opener” between 2018 and 2019. In 2018, he became the first rookie in major league history to record 25 starts and 25 relief appearances in a single season.
A first-round pick (29th overall) by the Rays in 2013 out of the University of Arkansas, Stanek adds a hometown connection to the Cardinals’ roster. Born in St. Louis to a family of Cardinals fans, he was named after Chicago Cubs Hall of Famer Ryne Sandberg.
