St. Louis is trimming pitching depth in the thick of the deadline stretch, and the latest name to go is journeyman lefty Bruce Zimmermann. MLB Trade Rumors confirmed the outright on July 13, closing the book on a stay with the Cardinals that lasted all of one game.
Cardinals Outright Bruce Zimmermann t.co/nAHVCaCoA3
Zimmermann's call-up was about as short as it gets. He got the nod for a doubleheader against the Brewers, covered 5 innings of bulk relief in the opener while allowing 3 earned runs, and gave St. Louis' actual starters, Michael McGreevy and Andre Pallante, a breather. That was the whole audition. He was designated for assignment the following Tuesday, cleared waivers, and is now heading back to Triple-A.
It's not like Zimmermann was pitching his way off the roster at the minor league level. He carried a 3.78 ERA with more than a strikeout per inning across 15 Triple-A starts before the promotion. The bigger issue is what's happened to his stuff over time. He came up with Baltimore averaging 91.4 mph on his fastball; these days every pitch in his arsenal sits below 90. That's a rough combination for a guy trying to hang onto a big-league job as a fringe lefty option.
This isn't new territory for the 31-year-old. Zimmermann broke in with the Orioles across the 2021 and 2022 seasons before bouncing to Milwaukee for a single appearance in 2025, then signing a minors deal with St. Louis back in January. Because he's already been outrighted multiple times in his career, he now has the option to elect free agency instead of sticking around in the Cardinals' system waiting for the next injury or doubleheader to open a door.
For St. Louis, this is roster paperwork more than anything dramatic, but it's a real signal about where the pitching staff stands heading into the deadline. Every 40-man slot matters this time of year, and the Cardinals just cleared one from a soft-tossing depth arm who'd already given them what he had to offer. Whether Zimmermann takes the free agent route or bets on getting another look in Memphis is the only thing left to watch here.