The Cardinals need a closer.
Where he comes from is the question.
From a trade? Off the free-agent market? Or, is he already in the organization?
Trevor Rosenthal (above) is a free agent and not expected to pitch this season. Seung Hwan Oh is a free agent and is not connected to the Cardinals as a target to re-sign. Juan Nicasio is a Mariner. Wade Davis, perhaps the top closer on the free-agent market this offseason, was signed by the Rockies.
The clock is ticking.
By now, every Cardinals fan is aware of the market.
Rays closer Alex Colome is attractive to the Cardinals, but he has been for a while now, and no deal has materialized. Greg Holland has replaced Davis atop the list of proven (and pricey) free-agent options. Addison Reed is still out there.
Fans should feel nervous at best, queasy at worst, if the Cardinals don't land someone, anyone, with closing experience before spring training begins.
But even if that addition comes, it's worth remembering the fragility of the role. As the Cardinals showed in 2017, the closer you start with might not be the one you end with.
With that in mind, let's refresh the view of internal candidates for the job: