The Cardinals have agreed to a minor league contract with one of their former closers, bringing righty Edward Mujica back to the organization on a minor league contract, reports Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch (Twitter link). The contract doesn’t contain an invitation to big league Spring Training, so Mujica will head directly to the Cardinals’ Triple-A affiliate in Memphis. SB Nation’s Chris Cotillo tweets that the Octagon client would earn a pro-rated $750K base salary in the event that he does return to the Majors.
Mujica, 33, has thrown just 6 1/3 innings in the Majors since the end of the 2015 season — all coming with the Tigers last year. The results weren’t exactly pretty, as he served up four homers and seven runs overall, though he did strike out seven without issuing a walk. The right-hander’s work with Detroit’s Triple-A affiliate last season was sound, as he delivered 56 innings of 2.57 ERA ball with 7.4 K/9 against a minuscule 1.4 BB/9 with a 39.5 percent ground-ball rate.
That said, Mujica hasn’t shown much in the Majors since a strong run from 2011-13 with the Marlins and Cardinals. Pristine control helped him to a 2.93 ERA through 206 innings in that frame, but Mujica’s pedestrian strikeout tendencies always led metrics like FIP, xFIP and SIERA to forecast some regression in his future — and that proved to be the case in 2014.
After signing a two-year deal with the Red Sox, Mujica turned in a solid but unspectacular 3.90 ERA with 6.5 K/9, 2.1 BB/9 and a 43 percent grounder rate in 2014. The 2015 season proved far worse, as he averaged just 5.7 K/9 against 1.3 BB/9 with a career-worst 1.9 HR/9 en route to a 4.75 ERA in 47 1/3 innings. Boston cut ties with Mujica early in the season, and he wasn’t much better after being picked up by the A’s.
At his best, Mujica induces an average or better number of grounders with elite control and limited punchouts. If his Triple-A work in 2018 mirrors that of his fine output with Toledo in 2017, then it’s not hard to imagine him getting some innings in the Cardinals’ bullpen as injuries around the big league relief corps inevitably crop up. Mujica is hardly teeming with upside, but he’ll bring some experience to the Redbirds’ depth chart and can be reasonably expected to help keep their Triple-A bullpen competitive.
gatewaytothebest
Why?
EndinStealth
Why not? It’s a minor league deal.
RedFeather
World Series bound…
Kane U.
What I sign Cards, absolute joke.
fasbal1
He wasn’t worth a crap…when they sent him out last time.
thesheriffisnear
They found their closer!
Boi34
Chapman plays for the a’s?????????
JFactor
People get way too dramatic about minor league signings with their useless sarcasm.
Who cares? He’s minor league depth.
‘Championship’ zomg!
So dumb
CubsTroll
Agreed. No problem with adding depth to any bullpen whether it be minors or majors.
realgone2
Well, to be fair, a lot of the posters on here are idiots.
timyanks
or name callers, like you
EndinStealth
I’d rather be a name caller.
#Fantasygeekland
Yeah some teams benefit greatly from a minor league bullpen signing. Blake Parker with LAA last year for example. Rich Hill came out of Indy ball… same with Kazmir. Not saying Munich will be like them, but i agree that it would be foolish to neglect minor league free agents
Phillies2017
I looked into this recently. There were a significant of waiver and minor league contract relievers who wound up being rather good
Swarzak, Parker, Yates, Morrow, Nick Goody, Kevin Shackleford, Sam Freeman, the list goes on an on.
Also looking beyond 2017, you have guys like Brad Hand and Brad Brach, Jose Ramirez, etc. etc.
sufferforsnakes
He’s only 33? I thought he was around 50.
fasbal1
He pitches like he’s 50, I understand the mistake.
nastynateSTL
NicTaylor
How many teams has he been with through his career now?
Francys01
Welcome
ZMZobeck
Last time he pitched for the cards he did really well
rdmeeks3
Yep, he had his best years for the Cards, so who knows, maybe he can have a resurgence. If nothing else, his experience may be useful for the youngsters to learn from him.
IACub
Not even an invite to Spring Training? That’s cold-blooded
CompanyAssassin
I don’t get why people heckle minor league contracts, they’re literally without risk.
EndinStealth
Because people are clueless. Or they are just trolls.
GaryWarriorsRedSoxx
Do they feel that maybe a washed-up guy is taking a spot of a young guy with potential?
EndinStealth
If there was that young guy with potential that he’d be blocking he wouldn’t be signed. It’s common sense.
GaryWarriorsRedSoxx
Then that’s their fault. They need to find some youth with potential.
Put the scouting Department to work.
Yankeepatriot
He’s not very good but he’s veteran relief depth and who knows he might be lightning in a bottle. If the dodgers didn’t throw morrow out there last season they wouldn’t have gotten what they did out of him
srmocardsfan
There is nothing wrong adding him to the AAA team. If he works out he saves our younger pitchers arms. possibly getting a call up to give our pen some rest. If it doesn’t work you cut him and your out nothing. Not a big deal.
Cardinals17
Well….It’s about time!!! The Cardinals front office got their star closer as promised!!! That addition ought to put the Cardinals over the top and right in the World Series hunt!!! Dumpster diving in in the front office Blood!!! Somethings never change. Waste of money again!!!
bearcat6
All teams are dumpster divers. Example: Cubs sign Peter Bourgos, who can’t hit his way out of a paper bag!
Cardinals17
Oh Boy!!! World Series bound now, for sure!!!
dtstlou66
SIGN ERIC HOSMER
TAKE A CHANCE. GET SOME ATTITUDE ON THIS TEAM. REMEMBER ALBERT. THAT’S WHAT HE DID.
timyanks
not for the eight years he’s asking for
bearcat6
Agree with slide!
EndinStealth
HARD pass
tomcmjoseph
Low risk high reward for this guy. I don’t hate the signing.