Cardinals' newest signing could signify incoming change to struggling bullpen

The St. Louis Cardinals are signing veteran Peter Strzlecki to a minor league deal, per Jon Heyman.

Strzlecki, 31, last pitched in MLB during the 2024 season, but briefly made it onto the Milwaukee Brewers’ active roster this year. 

In his career, the right-hander has a 3.44 ERA over 83.2 innings pitched. He’s seen time on the Brewers, Diamondbacks, and Guardians. 

As for his repertoire, Strzlecki throws a four-seam fastball, changeup, sweeper, cutter, and sinker. He averages low velocity and hasn’t historically racked up a ton of swing-and-miss, but he does limit walks and self-inflicted damage. Maybe the Cardinals can bring him on as a coach if the mound antics don’t shake out? 

With all that being said, how could he factor into the Cardinals in the second half? 

Could this move signify something bigger for the Cardinals? 

St. Louis is one of the best-suited teams in MLB to sell at the deadline. One of the biggest cogs in that machine is their bullpen talent to deal from. 

Closer Riley O’Brien and setup men JoJo Romero and George Soriano have put together solid campaigns. O’Brien’s amounted to an All-Star nod, and the latter duo has been doing their best to stabilize an otherwise rollercoaster of an arm barn. 

With Romero currently on the injured list, Soriano having to throw basically bulk innings, and O’Brien’s return to Earth, the Cardinals bullpen is flailing for security–and also for change. 

If St. Louis sells off even one piece, it looks like this team that was wound so tightly at the beginning of the year is destined to unravel. Underlying metrics surrounding the team suggest that their ‘winning on the margins’ strategy will not hold. 

If that’s the case, the Cardinals would be better off selling high on all their best relievers, and even some of their offensive pieces. 

Strzlecki could be the warning sign that change is on the horizon–like a brace before an impact moment. It would make a lot of sense for Chaim Bloom to bring in the security before ushering out his stars. 

It’s not likely that Strzlecki will have a major impact on St. Louis’ playoff hopes or biggest bullpen moments. However, it’s entirely within reason to assume that depth moves like this could be the precursor to significant change. 

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