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Cardinals gamble on Jared Shuster’s upside with minor league deal
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- Cardinals gamble on Jared Shuster’s upside with minor league deal
Cardinals gamble on Jared Shuster's upside with minor league deal originally appeared on The Sporting News . Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here .
It is evident that the St. Louis Cardinals are headed toward a rebuild. Offseason trades involving starting pitcher Sonny Gray and first baseman Willson Contreras make it clear that next year won't be a good one for the Redbirds.
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More trades involving starting pitchers could be on the horizon and that means potential depth for the rotation will begin being added. That started Monday, as MLB insider Jon Morosi reported that St. Louis and left-hander Jared Shuster have agreed on a minor league contract.
Shuster, a first-round pick by the Atlanta Braves in 2023 has spent parts of three seasons in the majors. He made 11 starts with Atlanta in 2023 and has spent the last two primarily as a reliever with the Chicago White Sox . His career has not gotten off to the start that many hoped it would after he was selected in the first round.
Through three seasons and 62 appearances, Shuster has posted a 5.27 ERA. His lowest ERA is surprisingly the 4.30 he posted in 2024 across 39 appearances, and not 2023 or 2025 where he appeared just 11 and 12 times in those respective seasons. It has been a rocky start to a career full of potential.
Shuster will receive an invite to spring training as a part of his contract and as Morosi noted, the Cardinals willingness to continue to trade away starting pitching gives him a real shot to crack the opening day roster. A solid performance in his spring training could put Shuster on his third MLB roster in four seasons.
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