Cardinals Scoop Up Ex-Brewers Pitcher After Milwaukee Exit

The St. Louis Cardinals are rolling the dice on a former member of the Milwaukee Brewers, Arizona Cardinals and the Cleveland Guardians.

On July 22, veteran reliever Peter Strzelecki elected free agency from the Brewers. It didn't take him long to find a new home. On Saturday, Jon Heyman of The New York Post reported that Strzelecki is signing a minor league deal with the St. Louis Cardinals.

"Peter Strzelecki is signing with the Cardinals. Minor league deal," Heyman wrote.

Peter Strzelecki is signing with the Cardinals. Minor league deal.
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) July 25, 2026

What Is St. Louis Getting With Peter Strzelecki?

Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Peter Strzelecki fields a ball during spring training workouts Sunday, February 15, 2026, at American Family Fields of Phoenix in Phoenix, Arizona. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Strzelecki has pitched in 77 games so far throughout his professional baseball career in the majors since 2022. He made his big league debut as a member of the Brewers. In 2022, he made 30 appearances as a rookie and showed right away what he can do. That year, he logged a 2.83 ERA in 35 innings pitched.

In 2023, he pitched in 37 overall games as a member of the Brewers and the Cardinals. That year, he logged a 4.38 ERA and a 37-to-12 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 37 innings pitched. In 2024, he made 10 appearances with the Guardians and logged a 2.31 ERA and a 9-to-3 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 11 2/3 innings pitched.

Somehow, he hasn't pitched in the majors since, though. He has had a roller coaster of a season to this point. Strzelecki pitched in 23 games for Triple-A Nashville and logged a 3.42 ERA in 26 1/3 innings pitched. He left Milwaukee for a short time and joined the New York Yankees' organization and made six appearances with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

The Cardinals' bullpen has been a serious weakness recently. The Cardinals have struggled out of the gate in the second half and the bullpen is a big reason why. With Strzelecki, the Cardinals are making a no-lose move. It's nearly impossible to hand out a bad minor league deal. The price is low and if things don't work out, the Cardinals don't need to bring the righty up to the big leagues.

The 31-year-old has a 3.44 ERA in 77 total big league appearances in three seasons. Right away, he's another guy that the Cardinals should view as big league depth who could be called up on a moment's notice.

This is the exact type of move the Cardinals should be making right now. They just added a player at a position of need on a cheap deal. There's really no downside to this move.

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