The Cardinals have signed left-handed pitcher Rob Kaminsky to a minor league contract for the 2025 season, the club announced. This will be the 30-year-old’s third tenure with the franchise and his 12th professional season.
Kaminsky originally signed with St. Louis as the 28th overall pick in the 2013 draft. Despite his young age (he made his professional debut at 18), the southpaw made an immediate impression. During his first three years in the Cardinals system, he pitched 217 1/3 innings between Rookie level and High-A, with a 2.15 ERA and 2.90 FIP.
St. Louis sent Kaminsky to Cleveland before of the 2015 trade deadline in exchange for Brandon Moss. After the deal, Kaminsky began to struggle, raising concerns about his ability to stay in the rotation. After missing nearly the entire 2017 season due to injury, he pitched solely out of the bullpen in 2018 and 2019, with a 3.31 ERA and 4.01 FIP in 84 1/3 innings pitched. While his numbers were solid (if unspectacular), he had dropped off the top prospect lists by that point. He chose minor league free agency following the 2019 season.
Kaminsky re-joined the Cardinals on a minor league contract that winter and made his MLB debut the next summer. He threw 4 2/3 innings in 2020, striking out three and walking two. He gave up three runs, but only one was earned. Despite his passable results, the Cardinals released him following his sixth appearance in September. He hasn’t returned to the major leagues since.
From 2021 to 2024, Kaminsky moved from the Phillies to the Mariners, the Staten Island FerryHawks of the Atlantic League, and back to the Mariners. He was dealing with several injuries at the time and struggled to make an impact when he did touch the mound. That being said, he made eight starts for Triple-A Tacoma in 2024. It was his first time making more than two starts in a season since 2016. Kaminsky is unlikely to make the Cardinals’ Opening Day roster, but he will provide left-handed depth to the bullpen and maybe the rotation. Perhaps returning to his former team would help him get back on track as he aims to return to the top leagues in 2025.
