The Cardinals acquired a lefty Justin Bruihl of the Guardians in exchange for cash compensation, according to announcements from the two clubs. Bruihl was designated for assignment by Cleveland last month. Right-handed Zak Kent was designated for assignment by the Cards today in a corresponding 40-player move.
This is the second financial transaction of the winter for Bruihl, who will celebrate his 29th birthday in June. The left-hander began the offseason with the Blue Jays, but was left off the roster when Toronto signed a right-hander. Tyler Rogers last month. The Guardians sent money to the Northern Order to get Bruihl back, but then designated him for a mission three days later when they signed. Shawn Armstrong. DFA’s limbo normally lasts a week at most, but there are different rules around the holidays, so Bruihl was there for almost three weeks.
He now finally has some resolution and this could be a good time for him to earn some playing time in the big leagues. Bruihl posted good numbers in 2025, but exhausted his final option season, which pushed him to the sidelines of Toronto’s roster. The Jays have been busy upgrading their pitching staff for another competitive appearance in 2026 and have cut Bruihl. Cleveland had one of the best bullpens in the league last year and was also going to have trouble keeping the lefty around for long.
But the Cardinals are rebuilding and should therefore have a little more breathing room in their relief group. JoJo Romero is currently the top left in their projected bullpen, but he is a year away from free agency, making him likely to be traded in the coming weeks. If Romero is dealt, that would leave Bruihl and Nick Raquet as two left-handed relievers on St. Louis’ 40-man roster. Raquet was recalled at the end of the 2025 season and has just two championship rounds under his belt.
Bruihl pitched 89 2/3 innings over multiple seasons between the Dodgers, Rockies and Blue Jays. Toronto only let him pitch 13 2/3 innings in the big leagues in 2025, but he did pretty well, despite a 5.27 ERA. His walk rate of 10.8% was a bit high in this small sample, but his strikeout rate of 27.7% and ground ball rate of 46.2% were both a few ticks above average. He also logged 42 Triple-A innings last year with a 3.43 ERA, 27.8% strikeout rate, 9.1% walk rate and 58.4% ground ball rate.
The Cards might be able to sign some veterans before Opening Day, but this is a good landing spot for Bruihl to earn more time in the majors. If he succeeds with the Cardinals in 2026, they could continue the relationship. He currently has one year and 112 days on his service, meaning he has five years left before he is free to act. He would also be affordable for the rebuilding club, as he is still in his pre-arbitration years.
More to come.
