The St. Louis Cardinals added some nice pitching depth on Wednesday when they signed right-handed pitcher Carlos Villanueva to a minor-league contract. It is expected that Villanueva will get an invite to MLB Spring Training, and receive a major league contract if he makes the Opening Day roster.
Villanueva is an incredibly versatile pitcher who has typically filled a swing role for his teams. In nine career big league seasons with the Milwaukee Brewers, Toronto Blue Jays and Chicago Cubs, Villanueva has a 4.26 ERA and a 2.59 strikeout to walk ratio. He has 76 career starts in 390 career pitching appearances.
Last season with the Cubs, Villanueva went 5-7 with a 4.64 ERA. He started the year as a starter where he struggled mightily. After five early season starts, the Cubs moved Villanueva to the bullpen where he thrived.
Landing Villanueva on a minor league deal is a great move for St. Louis. He is an established MLB pitcher who offers incredible versatility. Villanueva will likely battle for a spot in the Cardinals’ bullpen during Spring Training, but he offers depth in the rotation as well. Regardless, this is a very low-risk move for the Cardinals, and one that could pay big dividends.