ST. LOUIS -- As soon as Trevor Rosenthal walked off the Fenway Park mound, his elbow aching after an abbreviated August appearance, the Cardinals found themselves thrust into a market that they hadn't necessarily anticipated wading into this winter.
To rebuild the bullpen, they're having to start from the back.
It's been 16 years since the Cardinals last entered an offseason needing to add a closer from outside the organization. Jason Isringhausen was the answer in 2001, and the Cardinals will cast a wide net while searching for their next ninth-inning fit.
They have the option of pursuing established closers or those who they feel can evolve into a future one.