Cardinals add former Brewers reliever who recently opted out of contract

Relief pitchers on the border of MLB and Triple-A are some of the most well-traveled players in baseball. From shuttling back-and-forth between the minor and major leagues while they still have options to bouncing around organizations once their minor league options are gone, the life of a relief pitcher trying to establish himself in the big leagues is not an easy one.

Look no farther than the journey that former Milwaukee Brewers breakout reliever Peter Strzelecki has taken this year. The now-31-year-old reliever was a standout in Milwaukee's 'pen back in 2022, when he posted a 2.38 ERA in 30 appearances. The following year, Strzelecki took a step back, but was still a serviceable big-league reliever, with a pedestrian 4.54 ERA in 36 appearances to prove it.

The Brewers elected to deal Strzelecki at the 2023 trade deadline, in a deal with the Arizona Diamondbacks that landed them left-hander Andrew Chafin, and ever since, Strzelecki has bounced around the league. In fact, since the Brewers dealt the right-hander roughly three years ago, Strzelecki has been a part of seven different major league organizations, including multiple stints back with the Brew Crew.

This year alone, Strzelecki signed a minor league deal with the Brewers during the offseason, opted out of that deal and signed with the New York Yankees in May, was released by the Yankees a month later, signed with the Brewers once again, and was then released as a result of an upcoming opt-out date. Earlier today, Strzelecki, who was a free agent for the past three days, elected to remain in the NL Central, as he signed a minor league deal with the St. Louis Cardinals.

Peter Strzelecki continues 2026 journey by signing a minor league deal with the St. Louis Cardinals

Strzelecki put together a strong seven appearances during his second stint with the Nashville Sounds this year before opting out of his contract. Dating back to June 25, Strzelecki covered 6.2 innings in seven outings and allowed just one earned run, resulting in a 1.35 ERA. His stint with the Yankees' Triple-A squad wasn't nearly as successful (7.71 ERA), but it also lasted just six outings.

Strzelecki, who throws out of a low 17-20 degree arm slot, has been working through a rather significant change to his arsenal this season. After featuring a four-seamer as his predominant fastball shape throughout his time with the Brewers in 2022 and 2023, Strzelecki has begun throwing his sinker far more than the four-seam fastball this year. The change makes sense given his arm slot and the fact that his best pitch is a slider that has far more horizontal movement than downward action. The sinker plays should theoretically play off the slider better than his four-seam, but the results have yet to come.

Strzelecki spent one day in the Brewers' bullpen back in May, but was designated for assignment a day later without making an appearance for the 2026 Brew Crew. If he can regain his previous form, or if his repertoire change proves to be fruitful, he could end up being a low-cost addition for Chaim Bloom and the Cardinals' front office ahead of the trade deadline. Strzelecki, however, will first have to prove that his recent dominance with the Nashville Sounds is sustainable.

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