Cardinals-Guardians Justin Bruihl Trade Explained

Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported that right-handed pitcher Zak Kent has been designated for assignment in response.

"Cardinals trade for LHP Justin Bruihl from the Cleveland," Goold wrote. "They clear a spot for him by designating Zak Kent for assignment. They sent cash to Guardians for Bruihl."

The Cardinals made another good move

If you're a Cardinals fan wondering, "Who is Justin Bruihl?" that's okay. Let's dive in and explain why this deal can help the organization in 2026.

Bullpen Depth
First and foremost, the Cardinals have needed more bullpen depth in general. The club traded Ryan Helsley, Phil Maton, and Steven Matz away all before the 2025 MLB trade deadline. Plus, there have been trade rumors this offseason around fellow lefty JoJo Romero. Bruihl is a guy with 94 games of big league experience under his belt. He may not be a big-name guy at this point, but he's someone who realistically could see innings in 2026 and the Cardinals just had to give up cash to get him.

Trade Rumors Around Romero
Back to the trade rumors for a second. Romero has been a red-hot name on the market this offseason. St. Louis' bullpen already has been thin on lefties. Even if Romero doesn't get moved, the Cardinals would've needed another option. That becomes more of a necessity if he does in fact get traded. As of writing, he has not been moved, but this is a solid depth deal with everything else going on.

Who is Justin Bruihl?
Now, to Bruihl himself. He's 28 years old and won't be a free agent until 2031. That in itself is a positive. That means the Cardinals are getting a guy with at least bullpen depth potential for years, if they want him that long. In 2025, he made 15 appearances out of the Toronto Blue Jays' bullpen and had a 5.27 ERA. He only made 34 total appearances in the big leagues in general across the 2023 and 2024 seasons and had a 6.15 ERA over that stretch. Not great, but his first two seasons were better as a member of the Los Angeles Dodgers.

He had a 2.89 ERA as a rookie in 21 outings in 2021 and followed up with a 3.80 ERA in his second season in 2022 in 24 outings. The talent is there. He finished in the 81st percentile in extension in 2025 and had a 3.43 ERA in 39 Triple-A appearances. Bruihl was designated for assignment by the Blue Jays after they landed Tyler Rogers this offseason and was traded to Cleveland. The Cardinals are bringing him to town now and he should have a good shot in St. Louis.