Cardinals first addition of the offseason met with a mix of intrigue and skepticism

The St. Louis Cardinals announced their first roster move of the offseason on Friday, claiming right-handed pitcher Roddery Munoz off of waivers from the Miami Marlins and adding him to their 40-man roster.

Few waiver claims seem to spark major approval ratings from the fanbase, and considering the level of frustration that many fans have with the front office right now, this move has had its fair share of naysayers already. Munoz got his first taste of MLB action this year, making 18 appearances (17 of those starts) with a 6.53 ERA in those outings. His home rate last year was an eye-popping 2.83 HR/9, something that has to be fixed if he is going to find any success at the Major League level.

Originally signed as an international free agent by the Atlanta Braves in 2018, Munoz bounced between the Washington Nationals and Pittsburgh Pirates last year on waivers prior to being traded to the Marlins on December 20th, 2023. Munoz was a really intriguing arm with the Braves, but with him being still raw in his development, they were unable to afford to use a 40-man spot on him.

Munoz is known for his mid-90s fastball and athleticism that allows teams to dream on what he could become. His lack of command may steer him toward a bullpen role long-term, but clearly the Marlins were hopeful that he could flash as a starter this past season. With the Cardinals in reset mode this year, they can afford to see what Munoz has, whether that is as a starter, reliever, or both.

Munoz's low-90s slider (that moves like a cutter) seems like the key to unlocking his potential. Most people would agree he has electric stuff, but if he cannot figure out how to command it, that will not matter. If he does though, his fastball/sinker and slider combination could be deadly. He is a similar test case as a Riley O'Brien, where you try and bet on the raw stuff in hopes that he figures things out.

Marlins' GM Peter Bendix worked with Chaim Bloom for a long time in Tampa Bay, which I find notable considering the amount of small moves like this the Cardinals made last offseason that had Bloom ties. O'Brien, Nick Robertson, and Ryan Fernandez all had been with Bloom at some point, as was veteran trade acquisition Andrew Kittredge.

I'm not here to tell you Munoz is going to be some incredible pickup and you should be over the moon about it, but I'm not going to join the voices who immediately write this off. I like that the Cardinals are leaning toward betting on stuff more and more now, something that when it works (see Fernandez), it really helps the club. And when it doesn't (see O'Brien), there is little downside.

For example, many people, including myself, were not fans of the Cardinals' holding Michael Siani on their 40-man roster last offseason. Well, he just proved a lot of us wrong, and while he is not a star by any means, he is a valuable piece to have in the organization and was well worth that spot. It is far more likely Munoz will end up being like Alfonso Rivas or Buddy Kennedy, but again, it's worth picking him up for free right now.

Should the Cardinals have a 40-man roster crunch later this offseason, they can always place Munoz on waivers themselves. The Cardinals currently have 36 players on their 40-man roster with the addition of Munoz, but they will need to add Tink Hence, Tekoah Roby, and others to their 40-man roster soon to protect them from the Rule 5 Draft.