The St. Louis Cardinals continue reshaping their pitching staff as the MLB trade deadline draws closer, carefully managing a roster that could look much different by the end of the week.
With multiple veteran pitchers drawing trade interest and the bullpen carrying a heavy workload, every roster move has become increasingly significant. That reality was on full display Tuesday when the Cardinals made another adjustment to create room for a fresh arm in the bullpen.
The Cardinals have officially optioned right-hander to Triple-A after his difficult outing clearing a roster spot for a newly added reliever.
“He gave up four earned runs in 5.1 innings while serving in a piggyback role Monday, and he’ll now head back to Triple-A to make room in the bullpen for Peter Strzelecki,” CBS Sports reported. “Despite a poor showing Monday, Hunter Dobbins still owns a 3.74 ERA through 33.2 innings in the majors and could potentially join St. Louis’ rotation soon if the Cardinals unload another starter before the trade deadline.”
Although the move came immediately after Dobbins struggled against the Cardinals’ longtime rivals, it appears the organization had been planning the decision well before Monday’s outing.
“The move came after Dobbins pitched 5 1/3 innings in relief on Monday against the Cubs, meaning he would be unavailable over the next couple days,” Amber Winkler of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported. “Following his start against the (Los Angeles) Angels last Wednesday, the Cardinals made an effort to keep Dobbins on the active roster as long as feasible, even though it meant they would be short an arm in the bullpen.”
Once Dobbins completed his lengthy relief appearance against Chicago, the Cardinals were finally able to make the roster move they had delayed, replacing him with a pitcher capable of immediately handling bullpen duties.
Cardinals Open Roster Spot for New Bullpen Arm
With Dobbins expected to be unavailable for several days after throwing 77 pitches, St. Louis acted quickly to reinforce its relief corps.
“Now that the Cardinals are in need of relief arms, Strzelecki’s contract was selected and he was added to the major league roster,” Winkler added. “The Cardinals signed Strzelecki to a minor league contract last Saturday after he was released from the Class AAA Nashville Sound, the affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers.”
The move reflects the Cardinals’ current priorities as they navigate the final days before the trade deadline. While Dobbins has impressed with a 3.74 ERA during his first extended stint in the majors and remains a possible rotation option if St. Louis deals a starting pitcher, the club’s immediate need was a fresh, available reliever. Given Dobbins’ heavy workload against the Cubs, the Cardinals opted to sacrifice rotation depth temporarily in favor of strengthening a bullpen that could play a critical role over the coming days.