The St. Louis Cardinals completely stripped their roster of veteran players this past offseason and instead have chosen to trust their young players to take on those roles. They are rebuilding, so now is the time for that to happen.
Still, there’s competition for spots on the Opening Day roster. The bullpen especially has several spots up for grabs. They need to have at least one more left-hander in the ‘pen to go along with JoJo Romero.
There are two options. Justin Bruihl was claimed off waivers earlier in the winter, but Packy Naughton, who has been out since 2023, is also in the mix. Jeff Jones of the Belleville News Democrat predicts that Naughton will claim one of the final bullpen spots.
“Naughton has pitched well in spring and is beloved by his manager, teammates, and organization. It would be somewhat strange to risk losing Justin Bruihl, who has been perfectly adequate, on waivers, but Naughton is one of the feel-good stories of camp, so there’s a thought to picking the upside,” Jones writes.
Naughton made his Major League debut with the Los Angeles Angels in 2021 as a starter. The Cardinals picked him up the next year and turned him into a reliever, but he was limited to just four games in 2023 due to his injuries.
The 29-year-old does have a lot of upside though, and assuming he can stay healthy, he could be a solid piece added to the Cardinals bullpen in 2026. For his career, the left-hander is 0-6 with a 4.98 ERA in 37 appearances.
He hasn’t had much time with the Cardinals, but he could be a hidden gem if he makes the bullpen out of spring training. Now is the time for the Cardinals to see what they truly have, and if they have something special in Naughton, then it makes sense to put him on the roster for Opening Day and see if he can run with his opportunity to prove himself.
Having another left-handed reliever is important for St. Louis as they assess their bullpen needs. Bruihl is another option, but Naughton is somebody that they have had for several years now, and now is a good time to see if he can stay healthy and take advantage of the runway he has been given.
2026 is going to be different for this team in a lot of ways, as winning isn’t going to be the main priority.
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