ST. LOUIS, MO – SEP 03: St. Louis Cardinals relief pitcher Jake Woodford (40) before a game between the Chicago Cubs and the St. Louis Cardinals on Sep 03, 2022, at Busch Stadium in St. Louis MO (Photo by Rick Ulreich/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The St. Louis Cardinals appear to be enjoying a positive rebuilding effort, making some significant strides in a season that has seen growing opportunities for franchise players of the future.
But as the team focuses on the development of its current roster, it has also received some news on a familiar face who has now cut ties with a team that is very much in contention for a National League pennant.
Former St. Louis Cardinals Pitcher Jake Woodford Leaves Milwaukee Brewers After Short Stint
The Milwaukee Brewers continue to strengthen their position atop the National League standings, sitting in first place in the National League Central division, and part of that process has involved making difficult roster decisions as they prepare for another postseason push.
One of those decisions recently affected a veteran pitcher with deep ties to the Cardinals organization when Jake Woodford was designated for assignment and decided to return to free agency as a result.
“RHP Jake Woodford cleared waivers, was outrighted to Triple-A Nashville and elected free agency,” MLB.com’s Adam McCalvy reported.
Woodford spent parts of four seasons in the majors with the Cardinals before continuing his career with several organizations in recent years. Now, the 29-year-old is once again looking for a new opportunity after his time with the Brewers took a poor turn.
“Woodford had given up four runs in two of his last four appearances before being designated for assignment by the Brewers,” CBS Sports reported. “Now that he’s opted for free agency, the 29-year-old reliever will have the opportunity to catch on with a team in need of right-handed depth out of the bullpen.”
Former St. Louis Cardinals Draft Pick Seeks New Team After DFA
That move was not entirely surprising given his experience level and prior major-league service time. It seems likely that Woodford can find a big-league opportunity elsewhere, particularly if teams believe he can return to the form he enjoyed with the Cardinals, which saw him log a 4.29 ERA across more than 184 innings.
“Woodford shouldn’t have much trouble finding another minor league contract,” Leo Morgenstern wrote for MLB Trade Rumors. “He has seven years of MLB experience with the Cardinals, (Chicago) White Sox, (Pittsburgh) Pirates, (Arizona) Diamondbacks, and Brewers, and he’ll still be under 30 for the rest of the season.”
Originally drafted by St. Louis in 2015, Woodford may not remain on the open market for long given the constant demand for pitching depth across baseball.