Keynan Middleton Free Agency Update: Cardinals in agreement on a contract with righty reliever 

As reported by MLB Insider Robert Murray, the St. Louis Cardinals have reached an agreement with reliever Keynan Middleton, picking him out of the remaining free agents in the market. The 30-year-old right-handed pitcher spent the second half of last season with the New York Yankees, who were also interested in re-signing him. However, after being tracked by several teams in the MLB, Middleton ended his free agency by signing with the Cardinals, pending a medical.

Keynan Middleton was selected by the Los Angeles Angels in the 2013 MLB draft and went on to make his major league debut with them in 2017, after coming up through the minors. After being non-tendered by the Angels at the end of 2020, he signed with the Seattle Mariners for a year before moving to the Arizona Diamondbacks. There too, he lasted for a year and elected for free agency after. He started the 2023 season with the Chicago White Sox and was subsequently traded to the Yankees in August.

Since Middleton became a free agent at the end of the season, the Yankees showed interest in him from the beginning despite having other priorities to accomplish first. In the past couple of weeks, the reliever has attracted interest from several teams, out of whom the Cardinals have come out on top. While the length and details of the contract are not yet disclosed, it has been revealed that an agreement has been reached between the two sides and a medical is in the books.

Where will Yankees turn after missing out on Keynan Middleton

Despite facing fierce competition from several other teams, the New York Yankees looked to be the most likely to land Middleton from free agency. However, the St. Louis Cardinals beat them to it and they must now look elsewhere.

Enter Noah Syndergaard. The Yankees were reportedly among no less than 15 MLB teams in attendance for Syndergaard's recent bullpen session. However, the extent of their interest is not yet confirmed and there remain some doubts about the former Angels' abilities after a rough season last year.