The St. Louis Cardinals signed right-handed pitcher Zach Plesac to a minor league deal, pulling him from the independent Long Island Ducks of the Atlantic League.
Plesac will report to Triple-A Memphis after posting a 2.84 ERA in seven starts for the Ducks this season.
The 30-year-old hasn’t pitched in the majors since making three appearances for the Angels last year. His journey through independent ball represents a chance to rebuild value after struggling in recent MLB seasons.
Plesac’s best work came during the shortened 2020 season when he posted a 2.28 ERA for Cleveland. That performance feels like a long time ago now.
Since that breakout year, he’s carried a 4.86 ERA across 58 big league outings, according to MLB Trade Rumors. The decline cost him his spot in Cleveland’s rotation and eventually led to his release.
For St. Louis, it’s depth behind a starting rotation that’s stayed remarkably healthy. Sonny Gray, Miles Mikolas, Matthew Liberatore, Andre Pallante and Erick Fedde have all made a dozen starts this season.
That’s rare in today’s game, but it also means the Cardinals haven’t needed to dip deep into their organizational depth. Plesac gives them another option if that changes.
The nephew of longtime MLB reliever Dan Plesac was a 12th-round pick out of Ball State in 2016. He spent five seasons with the Guardians organization before his brief Angels stint.
His overall MLB numbers show a pitcher who’s had ups and downs: 4.31 ERA and 27-28 record across parts of six seasons.
It’s the kind of low-risk signing that makes sense for any organization. If Plesac can rediscover his 2020 form, the Cardinals get a useful arm. If not, they’re only out a minor league contract.
The independent league route has worked for other pitchers looking to get back to the majors. Sometimes a change of scenery and lower pressure environment helps guys figure things out again.
