Kelly, 30, was one of the early arrivals from the Cardinals’ focus on athleticism and power when it came to amateur pitchers. Kelly was their third-round pick because of the agility he showed all around the field — and the velocity he had from the mound. He was initially advertised as a potential closer, though he started in the early years with a power sinker. Kelly appeared in 61 games his first two seasons with the Cardinals — both playoff years — and 31 of those were starts.
That 2013 World Series was really all Kelly knew about Boston before he left the Cardinals clubhouse in 2014 with Allen Craig as part of the John Lackey trade.