The St. Louis Cardinals continue to look for ways to strengthen their organizational pitching depth as the trade deadline approaches. With uncertainty surrounding the bullpen and the possibility of roster changes in the coming days, the club has added another experienced arm in hopes of providing additional relief options down the stretch.
According to the New York Post’s Jon Heyman, the Cardinals have signed a veteran right-handed pitcher to a minor league contract. The move comes only days after the 31-year-old exercised the opt-out clause in his previous minor league agreement with the Milwaukee Brewers, making him available to pursue another opportunity.
The right-hander has appeared in the majors with the Brewers, Arizona Diamondbacks, and Cleveland Guardians between 2022 and 2024, compiling a 3.44 ERA across 83 2/3 innings. During that stretch, he also recorded a 24 percent strikeout rate and an 8.4 percent walk rate, showing an ability to generate swings and misses while limiting free passes.
After the 2024 campaign, Cleveland designated him for assignment, and he was later acquired by the Pittsburgh Pirates in a cash deal. Since then, he has bounced between several organizations on minor league contracts without making another major league appearance. Milwaukee briefly selected him to its active roster in May, but he was designated for assignment the following day before getting into a game.
Peter Strzelecki has been productive at the Triple-A level in 2026, posting a 4.06 ERA over 31 combined innings with Milwaukee’s and the New York Yankees’ affiliates. His underlying numbers have been considerably stronger, as he owns an impressive 28.6 percent strikeout rate alongside an outstanding 4.6 percent walk rate.
Some of the discrepancy between those peripherals and his ERA can be explained by a .325 batting average on balls in play and a 14.3 percent home run rate. Additionally, because Strzelecki is out of minor league options, clubs have less roster flexibility when deciding whether to add or remove him from a major league roster.
His path back to the majors was also complicated by the depth of the Brewers’ and Yankees’ pitching staffs, leaving few openings in either bullpen. The situation could be different in St. Louis, where the Cardinals’ relief corps has struggled throughout much of the 2026 season. If the club moves one or more relievers before the trade deadline, opportunities could emerge for Strzelecki to earn another chance in the big leagues.