St. Louis Cardinals made a slew of signings following non-tender deadline

The St. Louis Cardinals announced three signings late on Monday night. In a confirmation of what was already reported earlier in the day, catcher and pinch-hitting extraordinaire Yohel Pozo will be returning to the Cardinals after being non-tendered just last week.

The St. Louis Cardinals have announced signings of Yohel Pozo, Sem Robberse, and Scott Blewett.

Pozo, who slashed .286/.273/.524 as a pinch hitter, quickly became a fan favorite. His heartwarming story from being without a home to becoming a semi-regular player was well known amongst the fan base. His commemorative bat during Players' Weekend was eventually auctioned off to help children who were in a similar position to his own son.

According to Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat, Pozo's contract is what's known as a split contract. He'll get paid less than the MLB minimum when he's in the minors, but he'll receive a pay bump when he's on the 26-man roster. Pozo joins a catching group that includes Ivan Herrera and Pedro Pages, along with prospects Jimmy Crooks, Leonardo Bernal, and Rainiel Rodriguez.

In addition to bringing back Yohel Pozo for 2026, the Cardinals announced two other minor-league signings. Sem Robberse, who was also non-tendered last Thursday, is returning on a minor-league deal. Robberse came to St. Louis during the 2023 trade deadline when Jordan Hicks was traded to the Toronto Blue Jays. Robberse finished the 2025 season with a 7.36 ERA in only 14.2 innings for Triple-A Memphis. He underwent Tommy John Surgery in May of 2025, and he'll likely be out for most of the 2026 season. This signing allows Robberse to rehab with the Cardinals, and it gives the Cardinals additional pitching help near the end of the season if he's ready to go.

The other signing that was announced on Monday was that of reliever Scott Blewett. Blewett, 29, is more known for the puns and jokes that come as a result of his surname. However, he has shown flashes of potential in his brief major-league career.

The six-foot-six righty pitched for three teams last year: the Minnesota Twins, Baltimore Orioles, and Atlanta Braves. Altogether, Blewett pitched 44.1 innings in 2025 with a 5.48 ERA; he struck out only 35 batters. Blewett becomes minor-league depth for the Cardinals in the bullpen next year.

One of the issues the Cardinals have had in recent years is a lack of MLB-ready depth in the minors. Keeping Yohel Pozo and Sem Robberse, even if the latter will be injured for the majority of 2026, provides just that. Scott Blewett becomes a semi-reliable right-handed reliever in the minors for the Cardinals.

With the signing of Yohel Pozo, the Cardinals' 40-man roster sits at 38. It includes four catchers, so there's a likelihood that the Cardinals trade from that position of strength this winter to beef up a weaker area on the roster. The signings of Robberse and Blewett don't affect the 40-man roster unless they are promoted to the major-league squad this year.

These moves by newly minted President of Baseball Operations Chaim Bloom aren't ones that will knock the socks off the opponents or even the fanbase, but they're at least moves with a purpose.