Cardinals swipe pitcher from Guardians in trade

The St. Louis Cardinals are picking up a pitcher as they look to bolster their roster this offseason. St. Louis is trading with the Cleveland Guardians for reliever Justin Bruihl, per the team’s social media. Cleveland is getting cash considerations in return, St. Louis said.

Bruihl posted a 5.27 ERA in 2025, while making 15 game appearances for the Toronto Blue Jays. He also spent some time in Major League Baseball with the Pittsburgh Pirates, Colorado Rockies and Los Angeles Dodgers.

In his career, Bruihl has appeared in 94 games. He also has a 4.72 lifetime ERA. He has worked as both a starter and reliever during his MLB tenure. The hurler has two starts, with a 2-2 career record.

The Cardinals finished the 2025 season with a 78-84 overall record in the National League Central. St. Louis was fourth in the division, and missed the postseason.

Cardinals making a lot of moves this offseason

St. Louis has been working this offseason on moving a lot of their veterans, while trying to find free agents to help improve the offense. Starting pitcher Sonny Gray is gone, and off to play for the Boston Red Sox. The Cardinals are also looking at possibly parting ways with Nolan Arenado.

The club is certainly in rebuild mode. Bruihl has the potential to play a large role in the Cardinals bullpen for 2026.

“Over his five-year career, Bruihl has held opposing left-handed batters to a .224 BA (36-176) with two home runs and only seven extra base hits total over 176 batters faced,” a MLB.com report stated.

The bullpen is an area where St. Louis is focusing their efforts this offseason. Many MLB insiders believe the Cardinals will also be searching for help in the outfield. Cardinals president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom has spoken openly about his willingness to move any piece if necessary to build a championship roster.

“A lot of people will call it a lot of different things, and that’s OK with me,” Bloom said, per MLB.com. “It’s really just about staying focused on the goal and trying to make move after move that pushes us toward it.”

Time will tell if these moves by St. Louis help the team reach the postseason in 2026.