Cardinals Sign 29-Year-Old Ex-Red Sox Prospect Looking for Fresh Start

The St. Louis Cardinals added a once-promising reliever to the mix on Wednesday.

Mar 2, 2023; Fort Myers, Florida, USA; Boston Red Sox pitcher Durbin Feltman (63) throws a pitch during the third inning against the Philadelphia Phillies at JetBlue Park at Fenway South. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports | USA TODAY Sports

The St. Louis Cardinals made an intriguing move for the bullpen on Wednesday.

St. Louis announced that it has signed former Boston Red Sox third-round pick Durbin Feltman to a minor league deal and assigned him to Triple-A Memphis after a stretch in Indy Ball this season with the Kansas City Monarchs.

"We have signed RHP Durbin Feltman to a minor league contract and assigned him to Memphis (AAA)," the Cardinals announced. "The 29-year-old joins the organization after posting a 2.08 ERA, 0.77 WHIP and 5 Saves across 13 appearances with the American Association's Kansas City Monarchs this season, where he was recently named a West Division All-Star."

We have signed RHP Durbin Feltman to a minor league contract and assigned him to Memphis (AAA).

The 29-year-old joins the organization after posting a 2.08 ERA, 0.77 WHIP & 5 Saves across 13 appearances with the American Association's Kansas City Monarchs this season, where he… pic.twitter.com/56vEtzAwU4

— Cardinals Player Development (@CardsPlayerDev) July 8, 2026

The Cardinals Have A New Depth Arm

Worcester Red Sox pitcher Durbin Feltman. Spo Woosox Practice 20 | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

The bullpen has been an area of need for St. Louis. Fortunately, the club just called up Luis Gastelum and now they are getting even more depth. Cardinals president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom and Feltman overlapped with the Red Sox organization. Feltman was selected in the 2018 Major League Baseball Draft. Bloom took over the Red Sox in the fall of 2019 and was in Boston until 2023.

When Feltman was selected by Boston, he was a highly-regarded bullpen prospect to the point that some around baseball thought he could be fast-tracked and be one of the first members of the 2018 draft class to make the jump to the majors.

He was selected out of TCU after logging a 0.74 ERA in 18 appearances in 2018. He made his professional debut in 2018 and made 22 appearances across Low-A, Class-A, and High-A and had a 1.93 ERA.

In 2019, he took a step back and had a 5.26 ERA in 43 games in Double-A. Then, the 2020 minor league season didn't happen due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2021, he returned to form with a 2.96 ERA in 39 outings in Double-A and Triple-A. He was never able to make the jump to the big leagues, though.

In 2022 and 2023, Feltman pitched in the Red Sox and Athletics organizations but didn't make the jump to the majors. Since then, he has pitched in Indy Ball. Now, he's set to join the Cardinals' organization one step away from the big leagues. At just 29 years old, he's the exact type of hurler the Cardinals should be rolling the dice on right now.

Minor league deals are rarely bad. They're cheap and if they don't work out, the Cardinals could either move on or simply leave the player down in the minors. Plus, the Cardinals have had a long week so far, including a doubleheader, so the club's organizational pitching depth is thin right now. On the other hand, if he can impress down in the minors to the point that he gets a shot in the big leagues, that would be a win in itself. All in all, a good flyer to take for the organization.