Alex Reyes

After thriving in a bullpen role in the abbreviated 2020 campaign, the Cardinals announced last spring that Reyes would work as a reliever again with a goal of reaching 100 innings. St. Louis also announced at the time their intention to move Reyes to the starting rotation in 2022. While he didn't quite reach that 100-inning mark - he finished with a career-high 72.1 innings - Reyes opened 2021 as the Cardinals primary closer. The 27-year-old was very successful in the role despite an ugly 16.4% walk rate, converting 22 straight saves while maintaining a sub-2.00 ERA before blowing his first save in late-July. Reyes lost the role a month later, but finished the year with a solid 3.24 ERA, 11.8 K/9 and 29 saves. He was originally expected to push for a rotation spot this season, but he received a stem-cell injection to address a fray labrum in mid-March and won't resume throwing for at least four weeks. He could be in the mix to close once healthy, but with Reyes out it'll be Giovanny Gallegos and Genesis Cabrera who handle those opportunities for the first couple months of 2022.