Cardinals sign reliever Nick Wittgren

The St. Louis Cardinals announced this afternoon that they have signed RHP Nick Wittgren to a one year contract worth $1.2M. Wittgren is a 30 year old relief pitcher who has split his career with Miami and Cleveland. Per Katie Woo of the Athletic, Wittgren posted a 2.5 BB/9 ratio and 8.8 K/9 ratio over 60 games with Cleveland last season. In 2021, he had a 5.05 ERA, which is the highest of his career. He was much better the 3 previous seasons however posting a 2.8 BB/9, 9.3 K/9, & 2.97 ERA in 112 appearances from 2018-2020. Wittgren should fare better with his 46.1% ground ball rate with the elite Cardinals defense.