St. Louis Cardinals sign relief pitcher Matt Belisle for one-year deal

The St. Louis Cardinals announced that they have signed free-agent right-handed relief pitcher Matt Belisle for a one-year deal.

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The move comes on the heels of the non-tender deadline this evening. The 34-year-old adds veteran experience to the bullpen, having made 70 or more appearances in four of the last five seasons. This includes his 80 appearances to lead the National League during the 2012 season. He ranks second in games pitched (367) since the 2010 season and his 91 holds in that span ranks 10th in all of baseball.

Last year, Belisle played for the Colorado Rockies and posted a 4-7 record with a 4.87 ERA in 66 games. In 64.2 innings, the reliever allowed 19 walks. In his career, he owns a 48-54 record with a 4.41 ERA in 524 games (724.1 innings) played for Cincinnati (2003, 2005-08) and Colorado (2009-14). His 92 career holds with the Rockies are second in franchise history.

The Texas native has allowed fewer than 20 walks in each of the past seven seasons. Over his career, he has posted a 2.2 walks/9 IP ratio. The Reds used him as a starter during the 2007 season, where he made 30 starts. In 2011, Belisle set a career single-season high with ten wins and led all Major League relievers in the process.

Belisle joins recently-acquired right-handed reliever Jordan Walden as being a new member of the Cardinals bullpen for the 2015 season.