Cardinals Outfielder Quietly Landed With NL Central Rival

A former member of the St. Louis Cardinals quietly landed in the division this week.

The Cardinals designated outfielder Ryan Vilade for assignment on June 12th and it didn't take long for him to find a new home.

The Cincinnati Reds quietly claimed him off waivers on Saturday, as shared by the team.

"The Reds today claimed IF/OF Ryan Vilade off waivers from the Cardinals and optioned him to Triple-A Louisville. In a corresponding move, OF Jacob Hurtubise was designated for assignment," the Reds announced.

Vilade appeared in just seven games for the Cardinals at the big league level this season. Over that stretch, he slashed .077/.200/.077 with one base hit in 13 at-bats. Overall, he has appeared in 27 total games at the big league level since 2021 with the Cardinals, Detroit Tigers, and the Colorado Rockies.

The 26-year-old played in 48 games with the Triple-A Memphis Redbirds and slashed .280/.375/.476 with five homers, 31 RBIs, five stolen bases, 11 doubles, three triples, and 33 runs scored.

Now, he'll try to get some time in the big leagues with the National League Central rival.

It's not shocking the Cardinals moved on. St. Louis has a surplus of outfield talent and got Jordan Walker back in the lineup on Saturday after missing time due to a wrist injury.

It's not a big-time move, but it was a quiet depth move for the Reds with a guy with big league experience.