One could excuse even the most devoted St. Louis Cardinals fans for not knowing that right-handed pitcher Zach Plesac was in the organization this season.
Once a regular member of the starting rotation for the Cleveland Indians, Plesac’s major league journey has gone south over the past couple of seasons. He was released by the Los Angeles Angels last August, and he started this season with the independent Long Island Ducks before signing with the Cardinals in June.
Plesac threw 58 2/3 innings for Triple-A Memphis, but it was trial by fire, as he went 1-8 with a 7.67 ERA. And it would be no surprise if those were the only innings he’ll throw in a Cardinals uniform of any kind.
Jun 28, 2024; Anaheim, California, USA; Los Angeles Angels starting pitcher Zach Plesac (34) pitches during the third inning against the Detroit Tigers at Angel Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images / Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images
On Thursday, Plesac elected minor-league free agency, according to the transactions log on his official roster page. He’s currently pitching for Navegantes del Magallanes of the Venezuelan Winter League, having made three starts already.
Plesac’s once-promising major league career was interrupted by injuries and ineffectiveness, and two of the injuries were self-inflicted. He broke his thumb ripping his jersey off in frustration in 2021, then fractured his hand punching the mound after giving up a home run in 2022. Plus, he got in hot water in 2020 for breaking quarantine during the COVID pandemic, then recording a video of himself addressing the incident for six minutes while driving without a seatbelt.
The 2022 incident led to Plesac getting dropped by well-known talent agency CAA, according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post.
At his best, Plesac was a reliable mid-rotation starter, with a 2.28 ERA in eight starts during that 2020 campaign representing his peak. He owns a career 4.31 ERA during the regular season and also pitched one scoreless inning for the Guardians during the 2022 playoffs.
Will any of the 30 big-league clubs take a shot on a minor-league deal for Plesac in 2026? We’ll just have to keep watching the transactions wire throughout the offseason to find out that answer.
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