The Cardinals have signed right-hander Brandon Dickson to a minor league contract, as Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch (Twitter link) first reported. He’s been assigned to Triple-A Memphis.
Dickson, 36, is looking to return to the majors after nearly a decade away. He pitched 14 2/3 MLB innings for St. Louis between 2011-12 but joined the Orix Buffaloes of Nippon Professional Baseball before the 2013 season. Dickson spent the next eight years with the Buffaloes, pitching to a 3.32 ERA across 892 1/3 innings at Japan’s highest level. He began his NPB career as a starter but worked as a closer the past few seasons, suggesting he’s likely to serve as bullpen depth for St. Louis. Last season, Dickson worked to a 3.28 ERA with a 21.1% strikeout rate and a 10.5% walk percentage.
Dickson becomes the second arm the Cards have added in recent days, as St. Louis signed veteran lefty Wade LeBlanc to a big league deal yesterday. Nevertheless, the Cardinals front office is still hunting for pitching depth, Goold writes in a separate piece. St. Louis has been in contact with rival clubs about trading for starting pitching, he notes, and they’ve been active on the free agent market. Goold reported last week that St. Louis has been in contact with free agent Shelby Miller about a potential reunion, but he added today that Miller has received offers from several teams since being released by the Cubs last month.
The Cardinals rotation looks in need of an upgrade if the 35-34 club is going to make a run in the NL Central. Jack Flaherty and Miles Mikolas are down with injuries for extended periods of time, leaving St. Louis with a current starting staff of Adam Wainwright, Kwang-hyun Kim, Johan Oviedo, John Gant and Carlos Martínez. Oviedo and Martínez have struggled this season, while Gant’s elevated 15.8% walk rate raises some doubt about his ability to keep his ERA around its current 3.50 mark.
It’s still too early in the year for many teams to abandon hope of competing, but there are a couple arms who could offer passable innings at the back of the rotation and should be available right now. The Diamondbacks have no hope of contending this season and could consider moving Merrill Kelly, who’s controllable through 2022 via a $5.5MM club option. He only has a 5.40 ERA this year but his peripherals (21.4% strikeout rate, 7.1% walk rate, 4.26 SIERA) are closer to average. Pittsburgh figures to be willing to trade Tyler Anderson, who has a similar combination of poor ERA (4.89) but more adequate underlying numbers (21% strikeout rate, 6.5% walk percentage, 4.33 SIERA). The Rangers and Tigers would surely listen on Mike Foltynewicz and José Ureña, respectively, although it’s not clear either is an upgrade over Martínez or Oviedo with how poorly they’ve pitched this season.
he’s back!
A real blast from the past.
Martinez is a total head case! He needs to go to the pen or to another team for a fresh start. Unfortunately we can’t cut bait with him because we have no one else to eat up some innings. I really feel like the Brewers are the team to beat in the Central. I hope we can pull it together but there are years when nothing can seem to ho right!
I’m a Braves fan. I know something about that this season too.
I have to give STL credit for the patience they’ve had with him. One start he’s lights out and the next he’s a train wreck. He’s still gonna be in that rotation, though, because there just isn’t an alternative right now.
He’s got 13 starts this year.
3 were terrible.. No explanation needed
4 have been lights out giving up 0 or 1 runs averaging 7 innings per outing.
2 of the other 6 have been Quality Starts and all of them have been winnable giving up 4 runs or less.. It should be 3 of the 6 as Quality Starts but his defense cost him 3 earned runs in Cleveland a couple weeks back.
There are a lot worse #4 starters in the league than Martinez. He’s just having to pitch as the #2 due to injury.
I’m surprised to be honest as I didn’t think Orix would release a solid reliever like Dickson as he has been very good up until last year when he walked more batters than normal while striking out less than normal too. Could be a good addition if he’s healthy.
supposedly couldn’t get a visa to get to Japan and coudlnt bring his family this year. looks like a mutual thing.
Just what the Cards need then. Another guy who can’t throw strikes?
I like Oviedo going forward; I wouldn’t worry too much about his effectiveness if his last start was indicative of his new pitching philosophy. His innings limit might be another issue.
Is Jesse Orosco available?
Another mid 30s guy from Alabama. Woohoo…….
Former Cardinal? Geez I don’t remember that happening. Good gosh.
His name is on the back of a 2011 World Series Champions T-shirt so he is World Champion Brandon Dickson to us.
maybe they’ll sign Keith Butler and Kevin Siegrist next
Consistently gave up more hits than innings pitched in the minors to only turn it around in the JPL. Makes me wonder if they are even playing at a AAA level over there.
Yeah the Cardinals are active but the question is if they’ll do anything before the mlb deadline. Not these moves!
I don’t think they’re actively looking.
there’s no reason to ever write about the cardinals ever making a trade within the division.
Jesus Christ, guess they have no aspirations to finish top 3 in the division. Hope this gets Mo fired.
let’s not stop at mo, keep the line rolling
They can re-sign Steve Kline as well; especially since he wouldn’t be able to flip off TLR from the bullpen!
I heard a stat during last night’s game that sorta serves as a distraction from the Cardinals’ rotation crisis: By the 5th inning last night vs ATL the bullpen had pitched exactly 100 fewer innings than the starters year to date, yet they’d issued 3 more walks than the starters. Let that soak in for a moment.
Signing Dickson and LeBlanc ought to strike FEAR into the other National League Central Teams!!!
Thanks on your fantastic moves John “Low Hanging Fruit” Mozeliak!!!!!
Maybe Mo is signing guys who remember how to pitch without the sticky tack
WTF??????
Sign Cashner