The St. Louis Cardinals had a busy day down in the minors on Tuesday.
First and foremost, the Cardinals activated Nathan Church off the Injured List and optioned Victor Scott II officially down to Triple-A. That's not all, though. That's the move that got the most attention in the fanbase on Tuesday, but the club also made four other moves down in the minors.
Right-handed pitcher Xavier Cruz has been transferred from the FCL to Class-A Palm Beach. Right-handed pitcher Andrew Dutkanych IV was reinstated from the 60-Day IL for Class-A Palm Beach. Right-handed pitcher Alex Breckheimer was placed on the seven-day Injured List. Also, 30-year-old journeyman Gerson Moreno was released by the organization at the Triple-A level, per the organization.
"RHP Xavier Cruz has been transferred from the FCL to Palm Beach (A)," the Cardinals announced. "RHP Andrew Dutkanych IV (A) has been reinstated from the 60-day IL. RHP Alex Breckheimer (A) has been placed on the 7-day IL. RHP Gerson Moreno (AAA) has been given his unconditional release."
Feb 17, 2026; Jupiter, FL, USA; St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Gerson Moreno (99). Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-Imagn Images | Jim Rassol-Imagn Images
Moreno wasn't a big-name prospect for the organization, by any means. But he was with Triple-A Memphis just one step away from the big leagues. Moreno is a journeyman who began his professional baseball career all the way back in 2013 in the Detroit Tigers ' farm system. He was in the Tigers' system through the 2022 season, but never made the jump to the big leagues. He made it up to Triple-A in the Tigers' system, but never got over the hump.
In 2023, he spent the season in the Washington Nationals ' farm system at the Triple-A level. That year, he had a 3.14 ERA in 59 outings , but didn't get the call to the big leagues. In 2024, he spent time in the Athletics ' system.
He joined the Cardinals' organization in 2025 and had a 1.23 ERA with Triple-A Memphis. Before his release, he had a 5.14 ERA in seven total appearances this season with Triple-A Memphis. Moreno has a lot of professional baseball under his belt, but hasn't gotten the call to the majors yet. Now that he's a free agent, hopefully he can land in a spot that will give him that opportunity. Again, his professional career began all the way back in 2013. That's quite a long time ago. He has a 3.97 career ERA in 357 professional appearances. He should get a shot somewhere.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/mlb/cardinals/onsi as Cardinals Release 30-Year-Old Journeyman in MiLB Shuffle .
