(Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
On Monday morning, the St. Louis Cardinals made a shocking move.
According to Katie Woo, who covers the team for The Athletic, St. Louis has designated left-handed reliever Genesis Cabrera for assignment.
Cabrera was acquired by the Cardinals from the Tampa Bay Rays in exchange for Tommy Pham at the trade deadline in 2018.
The hard-throwing lefty made his Major League debut in 2019 and became a reliable arm in the team’s bullpen.
However, he posted a 4.63 ERA in 2022 and began this season in Triple-A.
This season hasn’t been any better for Cabrera, who posted a 5.06 mark in 32 appearances.
Woo provided the news on Twitter.
New in St. Louis this morning: The Cardinals are designating left-handed reliever Génesis Cabrera for assignment. Cabrera has been with the team since 2019. A surprising move given his presumed trade interest, though he can still be traded within 7 days of being DFA’d. #STLCards
— Katie Woo (@katiejwoo) July 17, 2023
Cabrera could still be traded before the deadline.
With St. Louis out of contention, a team looking to add to its bullpen could take a chance on Cabrera.
The Cardinals already have two left-handers in their bullpen in Zack Thompson and JoJo Romero.
However, the Cardinals only have seven days to trade Cabrera.
The left-hander’s best season with the team came in 2020, which was shortened due to the pandemic.
In 19 appearances, he posted a 4-1 record with an ERA of 2.42 over 22.1 innings of work.
Since 2021, Cabrera has not been the same pitcher.
The 26-year-old last pitched on Saturday against the Washington Nationals, a game in which he allowed two runs in the ninth inning, but ultimately secured the save.
But it appears that the Cards have finally seen enough of Cabrera and are set to move on from the hard-throwing left-hander.
A corresponding move has not been announced at this point.
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