Cardinals Add Intriguing Former Giants Prospect In Rule 5 Draft

The Cardinals continue adding pitching depth.

Aug 23, 2022; Detroit, Michigan, USA; The hat and glove of San Francisco Giants third baseman Evan Longoria (10) sits on the edge of the dugout steps during their game against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images | Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images

The St. Louis Cardinals have been a busy team this offseason. They’ve already started their rebuild by trading Sonny Gray to the Boston Red Sox and bringing back two young pitchers in exchange.

Players such as Willson Contreras, Brendan Donovan, Nolan Arenado and JoJo Romero could follow. But despite the trades they’ve made, they are still making important moves to build for the future.

Chaim Bloom has been busy looking for ways to add pitching to the Cardinals system, and on Wednesday, they added another important arm to the mix in the minor league portion of the Rule 5 Draft.

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Cardinals Add High-Upside Arm In Rule 5 Draft

Jul 25, 2025; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; A general view as the St. Louis Cardinals and San Diego Padres benches clear after first baseman Willson Contreras (40) was hit by a pitch from starting pitcher Nick Pivetta (27) during the second inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

“We selected RHP Ryan Murphy (SFG) in the Triple-A Phase of the 2025 Rule 5 Draft,” the Cardinals Player Development system announced on X.

“Murphy, 26, was a 5th round draft pick in 2020 out of Le Moyne College. He appeared in 8 games last season between Richmond (AA) & San Jose (A) after recovering from Tommy John surgery in 2024.”

Murphy is an intriguing arm. He was once a Top 10 prospect within the San Francisco Giants organization, but injuries became a problem and he missed a lot of time.

However, he has averaged 10.9 strikeouts per nine innings and posted a 3.72 ERA in 80 appearances in the minor leagues. He made five starts and one relief appearance in the Arizona Fall League and was the AFL Pitcher of the Week in Week 4.

He can start and be used as a relief pitcher, so he is a swingman type, which should be a big addition to the Cardinals minor league system. In case of an injury, he could potentially find himself in the mix for a spot on the Major League roster.

The 26-year-old right-hander could potentially compete for a role on the pitching staff in spring training, which would give the Cardinals an extra pitching option going forward.

The Cardinals haven’t been shy about adding pitching to their system, and soon, they could add some pieces in trades or free agency to help the Major League ballclub.

It will be interesting to see what kinds of moves Bloom will make going forward as the Cardinals try to stock up on pitching in their system. Murphy brings a lot of upside as a former Top 10 prospect.

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