The Cardinals are expected to sign right-hander Dustin May, reports Jeff Passan of ESPN. It’s a one-year deal with a mutual option for 2027. May spent last season split between the Dodgers and Red Sox.
May was sent to Boston at the trade deadline for James Tibbs and Zach Ehrhard. After scuffling through 19 appearances with L.A., he battled injuries and poor performance with the Red Sox. May set career highs in innings (132 1/3) and games (25) last season, but posted an unsightly 4.96 ERA with an xFIP and SIERA in the mid-4.00s.
St. Louis was in desperate need of rotation depth after trading Sonny Gray to Boston and watching Miles Mikolas hit free agency. The club also lost swingman Steven Matz, who signed with Tampa Bay. May is set to join holdovers Andre Pallante and Michael McGreevy in the rotation. May’s former teammate on the Red Sox, Richard Fitts, will likely be in the mix after coming over in the Gray trade. The Cardinals are considering converting Kyle Leahy into a starter to round out the staff.
The Dodgers spent a third-round pick on May in 2016. He emerged as one of the top pitching prospects in a system typically stocked with elite arms. May made his MLB debut in 2019, working largely out of the bullpen. He spent the majority of the shortened 2020 campaign in the rotation, making 10 starts. It would be the only time he would reach double-digit starts until this past season. Injuries capped May to just 20 games from 2021 to 2023. He missed all of 2024 due to flexor tendon surgery.
May stayed healthy for the first time in 2025, making 19 appearances for the Dodgers. He stumbled to a 4.85 ERA over 104 innings. Despite the performance, May still netted LA an intriguing prospect in Tibbs, a first-round pick in 2024 (by San Francisco). The veteran righty made just six appearances with the Red Sox before right elbow neuritis cut his season short.
The Cardinals are betting on May pairing the flashes of solid production he’s shown in prior seasons with the improved health from 2025. The 28-year-old recorded a sub-3.00 ERA in 2020, 2022, and 2023, albeit in abbreviated campaigns. While he did go down with the elbow issue in September, he still destroyed his previous career bests in terms of workload. May had totaled 101 innings over four seasons before putting up 132 1/3 frames last year. It was the first time in his six-year career that May showed the ability to stay on the mound for any kind of extended stretch.
May has a perplexing pitching profile. He has a GIF-worthy arsenal headlined by a high-spin sweeper and a fastball in the mid to upper-90s. Oddly, the repertoire hasn’t generated whiffs or strikeouts for much of his career. May spiked a 37.6% strikeout rate over five games in 2021, but he’s been at best an average strikeout pitcher in every other season. He posted a middling 21.1% mark between L.A. and Boston last year. May has a modest 8.8% swinging-strike rate for his career. None of his five pitches has a standout whiff rate.
Jon Heyman of the New York Post was first to report that the contract was for one year. MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo was first to note the deal included a club option for 2027.
Photo courtesy of Paul Rutherford, Imagn Images
..cardinLOLs
I mean, the season is about development. We probably don’t have enough arms. Of he gets healthy, we can flip him for assets. If he bombs, oh no! We lose anoher 3 games.
You have to know the contract terms to make fun of it.
He’s a risk no matter what they pay.
There’s no such thing as a bad 1-year deal.
@tigers. Except Alex Cobb
I like it. Big talent for a high upside if it works out. If it doesn’t, well next season looks like one more year of let the young guys play and we aren’t expecting to win a World Series anyway.
A piece to “rebuild” around.
I feel like Dustin May is now experiencing what Matt Harvey and Noah Syndergaard did post Mets, although without their early success. Great arms that seemingly never make it back from TJS. A reminder of why many don’t want to “just have the surgery” unless it’s absolutely needed, as it was for these guys.
Solidifies the rotation at least.
I think he’s going to have a solid season. Great guy, completely nasty stuff when he’s right.
Hope he does well.
When was the last time he was right though?
Last season he was still in the later stages of recovery from surgery. He should be much better this season.
Same with Walker Buehler this season.
I have a chance to catch west coast games this guy does have nasty nasty stuff !!!! If he can stay healthy watch out plus a new set of coaches and new perspective could be a great thing.
Another year removed from surgery, sounds good. I just like that my Cardinals are making a move. I can’t wait to see him pitch.
Well look what Preister did when he got out of Boston. This could be something if he gets in a lab or has a different approach.
I agree, both are great opportunities to catch a little magic for a rebuilding team. I still feel May is destined for the bullpen sooner or later. He has never had that quality third pitch needed to stick as a starter.
You really are Optimistic!!
Unfortunately solidify your IL. I enjoyed watching him for years but he can’t stay healthy.. He’ll tease with 3 great starts he’ll.come crashing to.earth on the next 3..I’ll.be rooting for him from.LA
Best of luck Dustin!
Missed opportunity! Dang it. Good luck in StL, Big Red!
No offense, but I’m extremely happy he didn’t sign with the Padres. We don’t need Dustin learning 8 more pitches from Yu that have May movement.
Indeed Gwynning, best of luck great value Noah Syndergaard
Checks notes… Thor…
“Available”
Is the Padres rotation that bad that you wanted Dustin?
*checks notes through tearful eyes*
Yes…
Manny has an amazing arm. And every shortstop ever has pitched at some point. Just putting it out there…
Hot stove getting hot in stl
I see Chaim following the dumpster diving playbook in St Louis.
Not sure if this is true. Signing a player because you want a warm body is one thing. Signing a player because he has quality talent is another.
The Cardinals shouldn’t be paying anybody big money right now anyway. They’re rebuilding starting from the development in the minors on up. They should’ve started this 3 years ago honestly
So you want to sign a front end starter during a rebuild? Asking for a friend…. Cardinals can afford to sign any player rn that they wish. But why waste 2 years doing that… Chaim is actually making really smart moves. In 2 years, when they are in contention, they will be better poised financially to sign who they wish. He is getting rid of contracts that have 2 years left or players that will be 30 in 2 years. The Cardinals will be young and hungry and they will have $ to spend
Red Sox traded two real prospects to rent this
Should’ve traded Hicks and kept Tibbs LOL
Dodgers had no interest in Hicks or his salary.
Dan- that was a joke, thus the LOL at the end
Tibbs is on his third team in 17 months. Looks like teams don’t really value him.
Giants traded him for a star. Red Sox were on some type of drug when they made that deal. Maybe a panic after Breslow couldn’t get Joe Ryan
amk1920: “Giants traded him for a star”
=============
Tibbs was one of 4 players sent to the Red Sox for Devers. The Giants were in the driver’s seat as to who they sent because they took on so much money and the Red Sox wanted Devers gone asap. If Tibbs was really valuable, he wouldn’t have been traded twice in about a year since being drafted. That may be record for a first round draft pick.
Amk – he was struggling in his short time in Boston’s minor league system. He performed well in SF and LAD, so might just be yet another miss by the analytic nerds in Boston.
Or maybe Breslow jumped on the first available deal for Devers and didn’t do his due diligence.
it wasn’t the price (though Tibbs has some value), it was the return…
@all in
“Tibbs is on his third team in 17 months. Looks like teams don’t really value him.”
“Third team in 17 months” is such a lazy statistic without any context. Being included in big trades (a superstar and another fairly high profile player) signals value, not the opposite. And you realize the other team has to want the player too, right? Or, do you think the Dodgers (a team that, by the way, is quite good at identifying talent) went to the bargaining table saying, “We’ll take Tibbs off your hand since he’s obviously cooked since we’ll be his third team in 17 months, but we really like you so we’re going to be nice”?
The fact he was traded twice is more of a coincidence than anything else.
It took Tibbs and his 6 years of control plus another player to get 2 months of Dustin May. That sounds like he is not very valuable to teams.
And the White Sox traded Tatis Jr and all his years of control for James Shields. Your point?
Has Craig Breslow made even one good trade?
Lowey- yes, he traded Nick Yorke for Quinn Priester, oh wait….
Will be interesting to see how he bounces back. I wish him well. He always had incredible stuff but the injuries clouded things.
Rebuild year why not
Good luck DM. All the best.
Funny, and article about the Cards pops up and they sign a guy.
Sweet! I wanted the Cardinals to sign either him or Paddack as a reclamation project.
Good. Now go clear some roster spots.
Dustin DisMay
Smart move with Deadline upside if it goes well
Welcome to St Louis, Mr May
bold move by the cardinals to sign a 74 year-old dave winfield
Love this move. Im assuming its a one year deal. If he’s good, you move him for prospects at the deadline. If he’s bad, release him. If he’s mediocre, keep him because someone needs to be around so soak up innings.
One year with a mutual option. So yes, one year in effect
Nice pickup. I was hoping the Angels would add him as one of their next redemption attempts.
He’s always good for a shaky 3-4 innings. Good pick up.
depending on contact terms this is the kind of move i’d want my team to make heading into a rebuild year. rebound candidate that has a chance to pay off big at the deadline
Fraggle Rock May. Can’t wait til he gives up like 10 ERs in 2.1 IP
Plus stuff. Poor results. Probability of injury is high. Lotto ticket, not a player you can rely on.
Keep the lettuce out of the clubhouse!
His second and third game with Boston last season, he looked like he was turning it around, just solid. THEN, he just imploded. Who knows?
@Charlie Wright
The Cardinals lost Steven Matz when they traded him to the Red Sox at the trade deadline.
Love it <3
When I saw the header “Cardinals Sign” I got excited but then came back to life. This could be our headline acquisition until Spring.
Definitely has the right hair color for the uniform
It makes sense honestly but I would temper expectations.
Oh yeah! Finally a pitcher the Pirates can use for batting practice!
Just like Will Flemming said, Red Sox fans are smiling…
Its a fit for the Cards situation, not the Red Sox.
Give the Cards a couple of years and they might be able to give the Sox a game.
Oh bloom is at it again
Regardless of how many starts he makes, you know you’ll get an exciting game one way or another.
He’s trash, the Cardinals are gonna be trash the next 3 years. Yawn…
He’s awful.
If only Dustin could shake that “Mr. May” persona and shade it more towards October ….
If it’s cheap, how can one not like this for the Cards? If he does badly then no big loss, the Cards have already said they’re rebuilding. If he does well then someone will come calling at the deadline and offer up a mid level prospect.
Low investment trade that at best could work wonders to help them return to the World Series and at worst will just be a low cost flop.
Great signing.
Low cost move that at best will help them win a World Series and at worst will be a low cost flop. Easy decision to sign.
Ok,
Now what’s the plan for the 1,2,3 slots in the rotation.
Like under Johnny MO, we got a lot of 4,5 & 6 types.
Where is our 1,2 & 3 in rotation.
Same old Same thing.
Where is our era of 3.21 or better over 185 innings.
No Ace.
No #2.
No #3.
Maybe a #4.
Maybe a #5.
For sure we have 5 # 6 type of pitcher’s.
at this point Johnny MO 2.0