Rays trade Kittredge to Cardinals for Richie Palacios

The St. Louis Cardinals acquired former All-Star reliever Andrew Kittredge from the Tampa Bay Rays in exchange for outfielder Richie Palacios, both teams announced Friday.

Kittredge only pitched in 14 games last season after a successful recovery from Tommy John surgery. He pitched well after returning to action in mid-August, posting a 3.09 ERA and 1.20 WHIP in 11.2 innings to help Tampa Bay reach the playoffs.

The 33-year-old right-hander owns a lifetime 3.65 ERA, 3.83 FIP, and 1.23 WHIP with 206 strikeouts and 15 saves in 181 appearances since 2017. His best season came in 2021, when he earned an All-Star berth after putting up a 1.88 ERA and 0.98 WHIP with 77 strikeouts in 71.2 innings.

Kittredge, who is projected by MLB Trade Rumors to earn $2.3 million in arbitration next season, gives the Cardinals another reliable bullpen arm behind closer Ryan Helsley. He could work in either a middle-relief or set-up role, depending on the situation.

Palacios, 26, appeared in 32 games for St. Louis last year, his second season in the majors. Over 102 big-league plate appearances, he hit .258/.307/.516 with six home runs and 16 RBIs.

Palacios adds another versatile piece to the Rays' bench. While primarily a left fielder, he has experience manning all three outfield spots and has also played 109 minor-league games at second base. He has one minor-league option remaining and won't be eligible for arbitration until 2026.

The Rays opened an outfield spot on their roster earlier in the day by trading Luke Raley to the Seattle Mariners for infielder José Caballero.