The St. Louis Cardinals began their offseason with mostly minor roster-clearing moves, leaving them with three open spots on their 40-man roster as they enter the new league year. While they aren’t expected to be major spenders in free agency, there are still a few holes to fill. According to MLB Trade Rumors’ projections for their top 50 free agents, only one player was linked to the Cardinals.
That player is Cody Ponce, who will land in St. Louis. Ranked 39th on the list, Ponce is a former second-round pick who has pitched in both the Brewers and Pirates systems. He debuted with Pittsburgh in 2020 and made 15 appearances the following year, but hasn’t been back in the majors since. After a rough 0–6 campaign with a 7.04 ERA, he headed overseas, spending two seasons with Japan’s Nippon Ham Fighters and another with the Rakuten Golden Eagles before finding his stride in the KBO with the Hanwha Eagles.
During his time in Japan, Ponce went 10–16 with a 4.54 ERA, but in Korea, he delivered one of the most dominant pitching seasons in league history. The 31-year-old tossed a career-high 180.2 innings, going 17–1 with a 1.89 ERA, 252 strikeouts, and just 41 walks. Previously known more for his control than his strikeout ability, Ponce had never posted more than a 19.6% strikeout rate in professional baseball. This year, however, he set a KBO record by fanning 18 batters in a single game and reportedly added a few miles per hour to his fastball, now sitting in the mid-90s.
MLB Trade Rumors compared Ponce’s breakout to that of former Cardinals pitcher Erick Fedde, who revived his career in Korea before returning to MLB. Fedde starred for the NC Dinos in 2023, winning several pitching awards with a 20–6 record and 2.00 ERA. The White Sox brought him back to the majors in 2024 and later traded him to St. Louis, but his success didn’t continue—he posted a 5.22 ERA and a 3–10 record in 20 starts before being designated for assignment.
Although it’s always difficult to project how overseas performance will translate to MLB success, Ponce’s command and improved velocity make him an intriguing option. If he can handle the workload and maintain his new form, he could become the next international success story to return to the big leagues. The only question now is where his comeback will take place.