The St. Louis Cardinals made several organizational roster moves, highlighted by the release of a pitcher who had spent his entire professional career in the club’s farm system.
Among the transactions, the Cardinals announced the unconditional release of 24-year-old right-hander, ending his six-year tenure with the organization. St. Louis also reinstated left-hander Jared Shuster from the Development List, promoted right-handed pitcher Nolan Sparks from High-A Peoria to Double-A Springfield, assigned recently acquired right-hander Trey Pooser to Peoria, and advanced top pitching prospect Brandon Clarke’s rehab assignment from the Florida Complex League to Class-A Palm Beach.
In an official announcement, the Cardinals confirmed the series of moves:
“LHP Jared Shuster (AAA) has been reinstated from the Development List. RHP Nolan Sparks has been transferred from Peoria (A+) to Springfield (AA). RHP Trey Pooser has been assigned to Peoria. LHP Brandon Clarke’s (AA) rehab assignment has been transferred from the FCL to Palm Beach (A). RHP Edwin Núñez (AA) has been given his unconditional release.”
Cardinals Move On From Edwin Núñez
Núñez’s release brings an end to a journey that began when he signed with the Cardinals and entered their minor league system in 2021. Over the course of six seasons, he climbed through multiple levels of the organization, pitching for Palm Beach, the Florida Complex League Cardinals, and Double-A Springfield. Despite flashes of promise, he was never able to earn a promotion beyond Double-A.
The 2026 season proved particularly difficult for the hard-throwing right-hander. Across 24 appearances with Springfield, Núñez posted a 10.17 ERA, struggles that ultimately led the organization to move on.
His most productive campaign came in 2023, when he recorded a 3.39 ERA over 41 appearances split between Class-A and High-A. However, he was unable to build on that success in the following years. Since then, he has not finished a season with an ERA lower than 7.68, as command issues consistently overshadowed his electric arm.
Núñez possessed one of the hardest fastballs in the Cardinals’ farm system, regularly reaching the upper 90s and approaching 100 mph. However, his inability to consistently throw strikes prevented him from fully capitalizing on that elite velocity. This season, he issued 25 walks in just 23 innings, and in 2025 he walked 53 batters over 45 2/3 innings, numbers that made sustained success difficult to achieve.
Brandon Clarke’s Rehab Progress Draws Attention
While Núñez’s departure marks the end of one chapter, the advancement of Brandon Clarke’s rehabilitation assignment was perhaps the most encouraging development of the day.
The Cardinals’ No. 7-ranked prospect has made two rehab appearances this season and has already reminded evaluators why he is considered one of the organization’s most exciting young arms. During his second outing, Clarke’s fastball reached an eye-popping 103.1 mph, an encouraging sign as he works his way back toward competitive action.
Moving his rehab assignment to Palm Beach represents another important milestone in his recovery and brings him one step closer to returning to full-season competition.
New Addition Begins Cardinals Journey
Another noteworthy move involved Trey Pooser, who officially joined the Cardinals’ system after being assigned to High-A Peoria.
Pooser was acquired from the Tampa Bay Rays on July 17 as the player to be named later in the trade that sent Chris Roycroft to Tampa Bay. Before the deal, the right-hander had put together a solid season, compiling a 3.44 ERA across 16 appearances between Class-A and High-A. While he may not yet be a familiar name to Cardinals fans, his performance gives the organization another intriguing pitching prospect to monitor as the season progresses.
Sunday’s flurry of transactions reflects the Cardinals’ continued effort to reshape their pitching depth, creating opportunities for emerging arms while moving on from players who were unable to establish themselves within the organization.