The Cardinals announced that they have selected the contract of right-hander Peter Strzelecki. The 40-man roster had a vacancy that is now filled. Righty Hunter Dobbins has been optioned to Triple-A Memphis as the corresponding active roster move.
Strzelecki, 31, was just signed to a minor league deal a few days ago. He made one appearance for Single-A Palm Beach and has now been added to the big league roster. Dobbins tossed 5 1/3 innings of relief yesterday and wasn’t going to be available for a few days, so this move gives the Cards a fresh arm in the bullpen.
It has been a nomadic season for Strzelecki but he has put up good numbers while earning frequent flier miles. He started the season with the Brewers on a minor league deal. He was added to Milwaukee’s roster in May but was designated for assignment the next day without appearing in a game. He cleared waivers and elected free agency, which led to a minor league deal with the Yankees. He opted out of that deal last month and got another minors deal with the Brewers. Last week, another opt-out led to his Cardinals deal.
Between those various organizations, he has thrown 32 minor league innings this year, allowing 3.94 earned runs per nine. He probably deserves even better. His 28.6% strikeout rate and 4.5% walk rate are both much better than average and his 44% ground ball rate is better than par as well. A .317 batting average on balls in play may have helped push some extra runs across home.
In addition to the strong numbers on the farm this year, he has a decent major league track record. He has thrown 83 2/3 innings for the Brewers, Diamondbacks and Guardians with a 3.44 ERA, 24% strikeout rate, 8.4% walk rate and 35.8% ground ball rate.
It’s possible his grip on a roster spot will not be tight, since he is out of options. The roster might also undergo a few changes in the coming days. The Cards came into this season in rebuild mode but have hovered around contention. They are currently 53-53 and 1.5 games out of a playoff spot. They might do some combination of buying and selling. If they decide to sell, guys like Dustin May, Ryne Stanek or Riley O’Brien could be on the block, which could impact the squeeze on guys like Strzelecki. If they add guys, that could push him out.
Photo courtesy of Dave Kallmann, Imagn Images
