The St. Louis Cardinals signed Los Angeles Dodgers Minor League free agent Guillermo Zuniga to a Major League contract for the 2023 season.
The right-hander previously split his six-year minor league career with the Atlanta Braves organization from 2016-17 and the Dodgers from 2018-22. Zuniga was most recently with the Double-A Tulsa Drillers in 2022 where he ranked among Texas League leaders in games (48, 2nd) and saves (11, T-3rd).
The 24-year-old was a combined 11-6 with a 4.10 ERA (90.0 IP) and 115 strikeouts over 73 relief appearances at Tulsa over the 2021-22 seasons. Over the Colombia native’s career, the right-hander has appeared in 131 games (13 starts), posting a 4.11 ERA and 1.36 WHIP in 225.1 innings while recording a 10.3 strikeout per nine and converting 20 saves.
Zuniga’s fastball ranks as an elite 70 on the 20-80 scouting scale, according to Fangraphs, and he also possesses an above-average slider as well. He has also struggled with command in his career, walking nearly four hitters per nine innings.
He has never pitched above Double-A and has not had a ton of success in the Minors, so it’s interesting he received a Major League deal. However, he still has all three option years remaining, so the Cardinals can afford to be patient with him.
He originally joined the Dodgers as a Minor League free agent on Dec. 6, 2017 and entered the league as an international free agent with the Braves in 2016.
Five Dodgers prospects taken in Rule 5 Draft
The 2022 MLB Rule 5 Draft took place as the Winter Meetings in San Diego concluded, and the Dodgers lost Ryan Noda to the Oakland Athletics, Jose Hernandez to the Pittsburgh Pirates and Gus Varland to the Milwaukee Brewers while selecting no one in the Major League phase.
All players taken during the first round must remain on the selecting team’s Major League roster for the entire season or be offered back to the previous club. If they are offered back, the original club may choose to take them back or allow the selecting organization to keep them.
In the Minor League portion of the Rule 5 Draft, the Dodgers lost catcher Kekai Rios to the Toronto Blue Jays and right-handed pitcher Jose Martinez to the Cardinals.
The Dodgers selected right-handed pitcher Yon Castro from the New York Yankees, right-hander Carlo Reyes from the Philadelphia Phillies and outfielder Josh Stowers from the Texas Rangers.
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