Free agency will soon kick off around Major League Baseball and the St. Louis Cardinals have just one internal player to think about.

The Cardinals have to decide whether they want to pick up veteran reliever Ryne Stanek's $6 million club option for the 2027 season within five days of the World Series coming to an end. The World Series wrapped up on Wednesday night. So, the Cardinals have until Monday, Nov. 2 to think about the option.

At this point, it would make sense for the Cardinals to turn down the club option, especially while taking into account his projected market value from Spotrac. Right now, Spotrac has Stanek's market value projected to be just over $3.4 million across one season.

What Should St. Louis Do?

Stanek would absolutely be worth that price. In 2026, he appeared in 70 games as a member of the Cardinals and he logged a 4.02 ERA and a 65-to-32 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 62 2/3 innings pitched. He struggled out of the gate, but turned things around. From April 30 through the end of the season, Stanek logged a 2.84 ERA in 56 total appearances. That would be a completely successful season in itself, but the Cardinals relied heavily on him and he appeared in just shy of half of St. Louis' games in general. In his first 14 appearances of the season, Stanek logged a 9.00 ERA in 12 innings pitched.

One thing that is surprising about that is that you'd think a team would struggle in games if one of their relievers had a 9.00 ERA in 14 appearances. But the Cardinals actually went 11-3 in those games.

At the end of the day, Stanek was a good addition for the Cardinals. A $6 million price point would arguably be too high for a 35-year-old reliever for a rebuilding team. If the Cardinals were to decline his option, that shouldn't be the end of the conversation. If the Cardinals send Stanek to free agency, they should then see if he would return at a lower price point, like Spotrac's projected market value. That would be perfectly fair.

The Cardinals' bullpen was the club's biggest weakness in 2026. Stanek wasn't the problem. This winter, the Cardinals need to fix the bullpen. One way to help with this would be by bringing Stanek back, if the money is right. Soon enough, we should find out more.