Cardinals Add Zack Weiss on Minor League Contract
The St. Louis Cardinals have signed relief pitcher Zack Weiss to a minor league contract, the team announced. Additionally, they have re-signed right-hander Victor Santos on a two-year minor league deal. Earlier this week, the team also confirmed a non-roster agreement with catcher Yohel Pozo.
Weiss, the most notable of the signings, has Major League experience across three seasons. The 32-year-old pitched a career-high 14 innings in 2022 while splitting time between the Angels and Red Sox. Last offseason, the Twins claimed him off waivers but later removed him from their 40-man roster without him making an appearance in the majors. He spent the 2023 season in Triple-A with Minnesota, throwing 25 innings with a 5.40 ERA. Despite the unimpressive earned run average, Weiss demonstrated strong strikeout ability, fanning 26.7% of opposing batters.
In his limited MLB time, Weiss has been effective at generating strikeouts, recording a 28% strikeout rate across 27 1/3 career innings. However, his 12.7% walk rate has contributed to a mediocre 4.61 ERA. His struggles with command have also been evident in Triple-A, where he holds a 5.37 ERA over six seasons at that level.
Santos, 24, is still awaiting his major league debut. The Cardinals acquired him as part of the trade that sent outfielder Tyler O’Neill to the Red Sox, a deal that has heavily favored Boston so far. Santos posted a 5.61 ERA across 77 innings for Triple-A Memphis in 2023. He had been competing in the Dominican Winter League this offseason but appears to have suffered an injury, leading the Cardinals to sign him to a two-year minor league contract, with expectations that he will miss the entire 2025 season.
Pozo, 27, previously appeared in 21 MLB games for the Texas Rangers in 2021, hitting .284 over 77 plate appearances. Over the past two years, he played as non-roster depth for the Athletics. In 2023, he posted an impressive .324/.335/.538 batting line with 15 home runs in a hitter-friendly Triple-A environment.
Known for his extreme approach at the plate, Pozo had the lowest walk rate (1.9%) among nearly 1,100 minor leaguers with at least 300 plate appearances last year. He also had the fourth-lowest strikeout rate (8.3%), putting more balls in play than any other hitter in the minors.
These signings add depth to the Cardinals’ minor league system as they prepare for the upcoming season.
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