Guardians Trade Bruihl to Cardinals for Cash

Cleveland, Ohio - The Cleveland Guardians concluded a convoluted offseason roster maneuver on Tuesday by trading left-handed reliever Justin Bruihl to the St. Louis Cardinals for cash considerations, capping a sequence of transactions that began with the designation for assignment of promising outfielder Jhonkensy Noel and ended with the addition of veteran pitcher Shawn Armstrong to the bullpen.

The chain of events unfolded rapidly after the 2025 season. On December 17, the Guardians acquired the 28-year-old Bruihl from the Toronto Blue Jays in exchange for cash. Bruihl, who had appeared in 15 games for Toronto last year with a 5.27 ERA over 13 2/3 innings, spent just three days on Cleveland's 40-man roster. The team then designated him for assignment on December 20 to create space for Armstrong, a right-handed reliever who signed a one-year contract worth $5.5 million, including an $8 million mutual option for 2027.

The initial move to bring in Bruihl necessitated the removal of Noel, a 24-year-old power hitter who had shown potential in the minors but struggled in his major league debut season. Noel batted .161 in 107 at-bats with Cleveland in 2025, prompting the front office...