At the conclusion of the 2015 season, the St. Louis Cardinals released their LOOGY specialist, Randy Choate, to the joy of this writer and many others. In his absence this season, the Cardinals have survived but have been without a true lefty specialist in the pen.
In coincidental news, the Cardinals’ frustrating pen arm, Seth Maness, who was immensely mired in a pitiful season, was demoted to Memphis on May 14 and then assigned to the disabled list. Enter a spot on the major league roster and enter the opportunity for the Cardinals to try-out their supposed LOOGY replacement, Dean Kiekhefer.