The St. Louis Cardinals have signed reliever Nick Wittgren to a one-year contract worth $1.2 million, John Denton of MLB.com reports. Wittgren is the second right-handed reliever the Cardinals have signed since the lockout has ended.
The Miami Marlins drafted Wittgren in the ninth round of the 2012 MLB draft. He made his debut with the Marlins in 2016 and made 118 appearances in three seasons before being traded to the Cleveland Guardians in 2019. After this trade Wittgren pitched three seasons in Cleveland making 140 appearances. In total, he has pitched 271.1 innings in 258 appearances during his six-year career.
The 30-year-old righty has a four-pitch arsenal that consists of a fastball, changeup, slider, and cutter. Since his debut in 2016 Wittgren ranks 47th among relief pitchers for innings pitched and walk rate.
Wittgren has already made four appearances at Busch Stadium in his career, posting a 4.28 ERA in 4.2 innings pitched. He allowed one home run and three walks while striking out two.
It's hard to see Wittgren becoming a high-leverage relief option for the Cardinals. Especially with the current crop of options in Giovanny Gallegos, Alex Reyes, and Genesis Cabrera. Cardinals fans will have to wait and see exactly what role Wittgren will play in 2022.
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Featured image courtesy of Charlie Lyons-Pardue,
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