Cardinals DFA ex-Rangers prospect, acquire lefty pitcher Justin Bruihl from Guardians

Cardinals DFA former Rangers pitching prospect Zak Kent as corresponding move to acquiring lefty Justin Bruihl from Guardians

The St. Louis Cardinals have designated former Texas Rangers righty pitching prospect Zak Kent for assignment as a corresponding move to acquiring lefty reliever Justin Bruihl, who has a career 4.72 ERA in 89 2/3 MLB innings, from the Cleveland Guardians for cash, according to announcements from both teams involved in the trade.

Kent, who turns 28 in February, was with the Cardinals for about one month this offseason, as St. Louis claimed the righty off waivers from the Guardians on December 5. Last season marked Kent's first big-league campaign. He had 12 appearances with Cleveland, posting a 4.58 ERA (3.59 FIP) with 16 strikeouts and eight walks across 17 2/3 innings. In 38 Triple-A innings last season, he pitched to an outstanding 2.84 ERA with 50 strikeouts and 21 walks.

The Rangers drafted Kent in the ninth round of the 2019 MLB Draft from Virginia Military Institute in Lexington, Virginia. He relies on a mid-80s slider (39.3%), low-90s four-seamer (29.2%), low-80s curveball (25.0%) and low-90s sinker (6.5%).

After being drafted by the Rangers in 2019, Kent remained with the organization until March 28, 2024, when he was traded to the Guardians for cash. He reached Triple-A Round Rock with Texas, but never pitched in the big leagues for the club.

In his first season (2019) of professional baseball, Kent posted a 5.12 ERA in 19 1/3 innings in the rookie league and Low-A. He didn't pitch in 2020 because the minor league season was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He started the 2021 season in High-A, where he managed a 2.83 ERA in 60 1/3 innings before being promoted to Double-A Frisco, where the righty struggled with a 5.34 ERA in 28 2/3 innings to end the season.

After posting a 4.68 ERA across 82 2/3 innings with Double-A Frisco during the 2022 campaign, Kent was promoted to Triple-A Round Rock at the end of the season. He had a 1.67 ERA in 27 innings over five starts with the Express in 2022. He missed most of the 2023 campaign with an oblique injury, posting a 3.97 ERA with 34 strikeouts and 10 walks in just 34 innings with Triple-A Round Rock.

Maybe the Rangers will attempt to bring Kent back on a minor league deal. It can't hurt, and the team desperately needs bullpen help.