Should Cardinals Claim Recently Made Available Hurler With Promising Track Record?

Does St. Louis need more bullpen depth?

May 4, 2021; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; A message on the scoreboard informs fans that the game between the St. Louis Cardinals and the New York Mets has been postponed and will be made up as part of a doubleheader on May 5,2021 at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports / Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports

The St. Louis Cardinals have one of the most difficult remaining schedules and the pitching staff will need to pitch at the top of its game if the club hopes to make the postseason.

As it stands, St. Louis is 7 1/2 games behind the first-place Milwaukee Brewers in the National League Central and 3 1/2 back from an NL Wild Card Spot. With only 42 games left, the Cardinals surely have their work cut out for themselves.

Although the bullpen has been a stronghold for the Cardinals this season, there's always room for improvement. Perhaps St. Louis should consider picking up a reliever who just became available.

Atlanta Braves right-handed pitcher Parker Dunshee was designated for assignment on Wednesday after recently making his Major League Baseball debut on Aug. 8.

Dunshee posted a 1-1 record with a 2.30 ERA, 66-to-18 strikeout-to-walk ratio, .199 batting average against and a 1.11 WHIP in 47 innings pitched between his time spent with Double-A Mississippi and Triple-A Gwinnett this season.

The 29-year-old began his professional career as a promising starting pitcher but as he climbed up through the minors, his performance began to regress. To save his career, Dunshee moved to the bullpen, where he has thrived since the end of 2022.

The Braves didn't give Dunshee much chance pitching at the big league level after he recorded five earned runs on four hits, three strikeouts and two walks in only 2 1/3 innings pitched in his debut.

The Cardinals would have to remove someone from the active roster to open a spot for Dunshee but it's probably not worth it at this point in the season. The bullpen is holding its own, so there's no need to bring in a rookie who has practically no experience pitching in the majors.

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