Cardinals Roll the Dice on 22-Year-Old Ex-Indy Ball Pitcher

The St. Louis Cardinals added another arm into the mix on Saturday.

Sep 17, 2018; Atlanta, GA, USA; Detailed view of a St. Louis Cardinals hat and glove in the dugout against the Atlanta Braves in the first inning at SunTrust Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

The St. Louis Cardinals are rolling the dice on a minor league depth arm.

On Saturday, the Cardinals announced that they signed former Indy ball left-handed hurler Nathan Shinn to a minor league deal and assigned him to Class-A Palm Beach. On top of this, the Cardinals announced that Triple-A outfielder Colton Ledbetter has been reinstated from the Development List. Catcher Alex Birge is expected to begin a rehab assignment with the FCL Cardinals. Also, right-handed hurler Leonil De Leon was placed on the 60-Day Injured List.

"We have signed LHP Nathan Shinn to a minor league contract and assigned him to Palm Beach (A)," the Cardinals announced. "OF Colton Ledbetter (AAA) has been reinstated from the Development List. C Alex Birge (A) will begin a rehab assignment with the FCL Cardinals. RHP Leonil De Leon (DSL) has been placed on the 60-day IL."

The Cardinals Made A Handful Of Moves Down In The Minor Leagues

Feb 26, 2021; Jupiter, Florida, USA; A general view of the St. Louis Cardinals logo on the stadium at Roger Dean Stadium during spring training workouts. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-Imagn Images | Jasen Vinlove-Imagn Images

We have signed LHP Nathan Shinn to a minor league contract and assigned him to Palm Beach (A).

OF Colton Ledbetter (AAA) has been reinstated from the Development List.

C Alex Birge (A) will begin a rehab assignment with the FCL Cardinals.

RHP Leonil De Leon (DSL) has been…

— Cardinals Player Development (@CardsPlayerDev) June 13, 2026

The most interesting move of the day was signing Shinn. The 22-year-old isn't a hurler that fans are going to know already. He's young and hasn't made an appearance in the big leagues, or the minors yet. He played his college ball at San Francisco State. His last season in college was 2025. That year, he logged a 3.65 ERA and an 83-to-18 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 86 1/3 innings pitched. He wasn't drafted afterward. He pitched for the Idaho Falls Chukars in the Pioneer League in Independent ball. He appeared in 12 games and had a 7.23 ERA in 79 2/3 innings pitched.

So far in 2026, he pitched in six games for the Lake Erie Crushers in the Frontier League in Independent ball. Shinn logged a 3.14 ERA in 28 2/3 innings pitched and clearly caught the attention of the Cardinals' organization.

For St. Louis, they are getting a young hurler with upside on a no-lose deal. You can really never go wrong with a minor league deal. They're cheap and don't impact the big league roster. But if he can work his way up through the farm system and make the jump to the big leagues at some point, that would be a good lottery ticket.

Again, you can't go wrong with a minor league deal. Now, the club has another arm down in the lower levels of the minor leagues beginning his professional baseball journey with the St. Louis organization.