According to Jon Morosi of MLB.com, the St. Louis Cardinals have signed left-handed pitcher Jared Shuster to a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training.
Source: LHP Jared Shuster has agreed to a minor league contract with the Cardinals that includes an invitation to @MLB spring training. With the Cardinals listening to trade offers for multiple veterans, Shuster has a good chance to make the Opening Day roster.
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The Cardinals are expected to trade left-handed reliever JoJo Romero before the season, so perhaps Shuster will get an opportunity to take his spot in the bullpen.
Most of the other trade possibilities for the Cardinals revolve around position players, including Brendan Donovan, Nolan Arenado and Lars Nootbaar.
The team has already traded away Sonny Gray and Willson Contreras in separate deals with the Boston Red Sox.
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A 27-year-old Massachusetts native, Shuster was drafted in the first-round of the 2020 draft out of Wake Forest. He was selected by the Atlanta Braves, making his major league debut in 2023.
He spent just that one season in Atlanta, going 4-3 with a 5.81 ERA before ending up with the Chicago White Sox, where he was 2-5 with a 4.96 ERA in 51 games. He started just six, signifying that his future likely lies as a reliever.
He doesn’t miss many bats, as he has only 98 strikeouts in 141.2 career innings, but if he’s able to make the St. Louis roster, he should get plenty of opportunities given that the organization is headed for a rebuild.
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He’s under team control through 2030.
–The White Sox signed Japanese slugger Munetaka Murakami to a two-year deal worth $34 million. He is known for his great power, but there are real questions about his ability to make consistent contact.
–Seattle Mariners general manager Justin Hollander says the team is still talking with reps for third baseman Eugenio Suarez, who was acquired from the Arizona Diamondbacks at the trade deadline.
–In the wake of acquiring Contreras, the Red Sox reportedly are still looking to bring back Alex Bregman, but they have competition from Arizona and Toronto.
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With the Christmas holiday just two days away, it’s unclear if we’ll see any deals get done in the next few days. If they don’t, we could see a freeze until after the New Year.
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