The St. Louis Cardinals announced this past week that reliever Zach Duke will undergo Tommy John surgery and will be out for the 2017 season. This Mozeliak trade made during the 2016 season at the trade deadline shored-up the back end of the pen in a strong way. Duke was expected to be a reliable arm in the pen in 2017 but that is out now.
One of the downsides of this loss is the loss of finances as well. Duke is owed $5.5M in 2017, the final year of his team-control contract. 2016 was a strong year for Duke and the St.