Edward Mujica – A Great Add

A 28 year old from Velencia, Venezuela, Edward Mujica has faced an uphill battle his entire career.  An undrafted free agent coming out of the 2001 draft, Mujica spent 5 years in the Cleveland Indians farm system before cracking The Show.  In the time since, Mujica has endured many ups and downs, but it’s his transition to the St. Louis Cardinals that has him very hopeful again.

In his final appearance with the Miami Marlins before being traded, Edward Mujica entered in the 8th inning, his team with a 4-2 lead at the time.  After a Carlos Quentin single, Yonder Alonso promptly deposited a Mujica offering over the right field wall for his 5th homerun of the season, tying the game at 4.  Edward Mujica recorded one out in the appearance, striking out Will Venable.

His final line was 0.1 IP, 3 Hits, 2 ER, 1HR, 1K.  The Miami Marlins were all too ready after that to dispose of a reliever with a 4.38 ERA and 4 blown saves.  Enter the St. Louis Cardinals, desperate for a young reliever with decent upside and promise.  Though they may have overpaid by sending the Miami Marlins Zack Cox, I doubt if they minded too much, considering who they have on a nightly basis at the hot corner.

In 5 appearances with the St. Louis Cardinals, Edward Mujica has shined, demonstrating the type of talent and drive that makes John Mozeliak and the rest of the Cardinal brass look like heroes.  His line thus far is 5 IP, 3 Hits, 0 BB, 2 K.  His pitch count in his appearances has been absolutely astonishing, considering that the average pitches per inning is usually around 12 or so.  He has appearances in which he has thrown a mere 6 to get through an inning of work.  Furthermore, and perhaps most importantly of all, Mujica has not allowed a run, the Redbirds winning all the games he has appeared in until Sunday.

Last, but certainly not least, Mujica’s ERA has dropped from 4.38 to a respectable 3.89.  His 0.6 WHIP and .176 BAA in a St. Louis Cardinal uniform may not be sustainable, but then again, it may not be terribly far from what he’s truly capable of.  It’s nice to see his contribution so far, and it’s yet another win for the Redbirds.  The culture of what makes the Cardinals great won’t change, and as long as they continue adding character over big name status, they will be great for years to come.  Sure, they have their stars, but it’s often the guys who are overlooked who make all the difference in the world.  Here’s to hoping the Redbirds can make a run reminiscent of last year, with the little guys like Mujica making a big difference!