The Cardinals signed former closer Troy Percival to a minor league contract today. Walt Jocketty dealt with competition from at least six other clubs for Percival’s services. The signing was somewhat surprising, as the Cardinals were not named as a representative at Percival’s recent workout.
Percival is a bit of a luxury for St. Louis, as their bullpen hasn’t been too shabby. Cardinal relievers have a 3.41 ERA, third best in the National League. As Jeff Sackmann asked here a few days ago, can Percival even help a big league club? He remains a longshot. But if he is going to make a difference, he’s picked the right division for it. The Cardinals apparently expect him to slide into a setup role eventually.
