In a surprising move that has stirred up discussions among baseball fans, the Cardinals have officially acquired left-handed pitcher Justin Bruihl from the Guardians in exchange for cash considerations, as announced by both teams. This transaction follows Bruihl's recent designation for assignment by Cleveland last month. To make room on their 40-man roster for Bruihl, the Cardinals have designated right-hander Zak Kent for assignment today.
What’s interesting about Bruihl’s situation is that this marks his second cash transaction this offseason. As he approaches his 29th birthday in June, Bruihl began the winter with the Toronto Blue Jays. However, his stint there came to an end when the Jays added right-hander Tyler Rogers to their roster, which ultimately led to Bruihl being designated for assignment. The Guardians picked him up shortly after but then made the decision to designate him for assignment just three days later to accommodate the signing of Shawn Armstrong.
Typically, players in DFA limbo can expect a resolution within a week, but due to holiday rules, Bruihl found himself waiting for nearly three weeks, creating uncertainty around his future. Now, with this new opportunity, he has a chance to find a solid role in the majors with the Cardinals, who are in a rebuilding phase and may offer him more chances to pitch.
In his performance leading up to this point, Bruihl demonstrated strong potential during the 2025 season, but he exhausted his final option year, pushing him further down the depth chart of the Blue Jays, who are actively enhancing their pitching lineup for the upcoming season. Meanwhile, the Guardians boasted one of the most effective bullpens last year, making it challenging to retain the left-handed pitcher for long.
The Cardinals’ bullpen, on the other hand, may present more opportunities for Bruihl to shine. JoJo Romero stands out as the primary lefty in their projected relief corps, but he is nearing free agency, which raises the possibility of a trade in the near future. Should that happen, Bruihl could be one of the key lefties left on the St. Louis roster alongside Nick Raquet, who has had limited big league exposure with just two innings pitched late in the 2025 season.
Throughout his career, Bruihl has accumulated 89 and two-thirds innings across various seasons with teams including the Dodgers, Rockies, and Blue Jays. In 2025, he only managed to pitch 13 and two-thirds innings at the major league level, where he recorded a 5.27 earned run average. Although his walk rate sat a bit high at 10.8% during that small sample size, he also achieved an impressive 27.7% strikeout rate and a 46.2% ground ball rate—both metrics reflecting better-than-average performance. Furthermore, he displayed his skills in Triple-A, where he logged 42 innings last year with a respectable 3.43 ERA, a 27.8% strikeout rate, a 9.1% walk rate, and a 58.4% ground ball rate.
While there is a possibility that the Cardinals may look to add veteran pitchers before Opening Day, this transition could provide Bruihl with a valuable opportunity to establish himself further in Major League Baseball. If he thrives with the Cardinals in 2026, there’s potential for a lasting relationship. As of now, he has accrued one year and 112 days of service time, placing him five years away from hitting free agency. Additionally, Bruihl remains an affordable option for this rebuilding team since he is still within his pre-arbitration years.
Stay tuned for more updates on this developing story.
