Veteran lefty hopes third time's the charm with the St. Louis Cardinals

The St. Louis Cardinals can't seem to resist Rob Kaminsky, as they signed the left-handed pitcher to a minor league contract on Feb. 9. Kaminsky, who is Jewish and idolized Sandy Koufax, will be in his third go-around with the Cardinals.

Kaminsky was the Cardinals' second pick in the 2013 draft, as they grabbed him with the 28th overall selection. The 5-foot-11 southpaw fit the bill of what the Cardinals were looking for in pitchers, as he didn't throw especially hard, sitting around 89-92 mph, but he displayed strong command and a solid curveball and changeup. In 2014, Kaminsky showed a sterling 1.88 ERA over 100.2 innings in High-A Peoria, and he peaked as the Cardinals' No. 5 prospect by Baseball America in 2015.

The Cardinals traded Kaminsky to the Cleveland Indians at the 2015 trade deadline for outfielder and first baseman Brandon Moss. He remained in Cleveland's system through 2019, when he left as a free agent before making his major league debut. The Cardinals snapped him up again, and he made his major league debut on Aug. 16 of the shortened 2020 season. In five relief appearances, Kaminsky allowed one earned run in 4.2 innings, striking out three batters and walking two.

Kaminsky departed as a free agent after 2020, and he signed with the Philadelphia Phillies and later the Seattle Mariners without seeing major league action. Kaminsky spent the first portion of the 2024 season with the Atlantic League's Staten Island FerryHawks before agreeing to a second contract with the Seattle Mariners. He played with their Triple-A affiliate, pitching to a poor 7.66 ERA in 47 innings.

The Cardinals have been quiet in the 2024-2025 offseason, with their only major league signing being utility player Michael Helman. St. Louis will likely use the 30-year-old Kaminsky as organizational depth who might be able to make a few appearances with the major league team in case of an emergency. Now 30 years old, Kaminsky is unlikely to make a dent in the bullpen's pecking order, but his left-handedness will provide him with chances on the Cardinals or anywhere else as long as he can still throw a baseball.