Cardinals Reportedly Take Low-Risk Flier on Bligh Madris

With Spring Training just days away from kicking off, the St. Louis Cardinals have been looking for ways to add depth to the organization.

The big story of the week, of course, has been the three-team swap with the Seattle Mariners and Tampa Bay Rays centered around All-Star utility man Brendan Donovan. On top of this, the Cardinals have also handed out a few minor league deals in the lead-up to Spring Training to add even more depth to the organization. For example, the team announced on Jan. 30 that they signed right-handed pitcher Dominic Freeberger to a minor league pact. St. Louis announced on Jan. 29 that right-handed pitcher Robbie Knowles was signed to a minor league deal. On Jan. 26, the Cardinals announced that outfielder Nelson Velázquez was signed to a minor league deal, and the list goes on.

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On Wednesday, Chase Ford of MiLB Central reported on X that 29-year-old first baseman/outfielder Bligh Madris agreed to terms on a minor league deal with St. Louis as well.

The Cardinals reportedly made another move

Detroit Tigers Bligh Madris (40) jogs towards the dugout during a game against the New York Yankees at Comerica Park in Detroit on Friday, Aug. 16, 2024. | David Rodriguez Munoz / USA TODAY NETWORK

"The St. Louis Cardinals have signed 1B Bligh Madris to a minor league deal," Ford wrote on X. "Madris has 247 extra-base hits along with 403 RBI during his minor league career."

It's important to note that the Cardinals haven't officially announced the deal as of writing. It also is not yet reflected on his official MLB.com profile. If the deal is made official before camp, it wouldn't be a bad flyer by the organization.

Madris is just 29 years old and has played in 72 big league games across three seasons from 2022 through 2024. Over that stretch, he played in 39 games with the Pittsburgh Pirates, 12 games with the Houston Astros and 21 games with the Detroit Tigers. He slashed .204/.273/.286 with two homers and 12 RBIs.

He was a ninth-round pick in the 2017 MLB Draft by the Pirates and has played parts of eight seasons down in the minors. In the minors, he has slashed .253/.334/.418 with 84 homers and 403 RBIs in 754 games played. Madris is someone who could provide minor league depth at first base, or one of the corner outfield spots. The move hasn't been officially announced, but it wouldn't hurt.

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