Cardinals unceremoniously pull the plug on former feel-good pitching project

After watching him muddle through another frustrating bout of ineffectiveness in 2026, the St. Louis Cardinals have finally bidden farewell to relief pitcher Chris Roycroft, as the team announced on June 23 that, after designating him for assignment a few days prior, they have traded him to the Tampa Bay Rays for a player to be named later or cash considerations.

The Cardinals really seemed to think they had something with Roycroft upon plucking him from the Joliet Slammers of the Frontier League in 2022. Upon reaching the major leagues for the first time at age 27, Roycroft put together an adequate season with a 4.19 ERA, but 2025 and 2026 were less kind to right-hander. Over parts of three seasons, Roycroft holds a 6.41 ERA and a poor 12.5% walk rate.

The Cardinals took a worthwhile dart throw on Roycroft

The Cardinals' initial optimism wasn't unfounded, as the 6-foot-8 behemoth got out to an elite 7 feet of extension and possessed a sinker with lethal drop and arm-side run, but his scattershot control and command placed him in hot water more often than not. His sinker has lost some of its bite over the years, dwindling from 18.1 inches of horizontal break on average in 2024 to a less impressive 15.7 inches two seasons later.

The Rays will now have their chance to try and coax out more from Roycroft's tantalizing arm. Cardinals fans have long been wary of trades with Tampa Bay after Randy Arozarena and, to a much lesser extent, Richie Palacios succeeded with the team. There was fear that Dylan Carlson would be the next one to get away after the Rays snapped him up, but those proved to be unfounded. The Rays do have a history of strong pitching development, so Roycroft has landed in an optimal spot.

Regardless of how his career pans out from this point, any player who finds his way to the major leagues from independent ball has to be considered a success story. The Cardinals have decided that they're not the organization that can fix Roycroft, so we'll see if the Rays can teach this longtime underdog some new tricks.

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