Bud Norris, a spring training signing, was a bellwether for much of the season, posting 28 saves before he faded late. Jordan Hicks, 21, emerged as a strong late-inning presence as he threw more than 600 fastballs at 100 mph or harder and had six saves. Then, transplanted starter Carlos Martinez finished the season with five saves in five tries, but the move was a brief one because he will be returned to the rotation for 2019.
This is precisely the reason the Cardinals gave lefthander Cecil $30.5 million for four years on the strength of how he handled some of the lefthanded batters in the tough American League Eastern Division.