The St. Louis Cardinals acquired left-hander Anthony Misiewicz from their cross-state rival Kansas City Royals for cash considerations on Wednesday.
To make room on the 40-man roster, St. Louis designated right-hander James Naile for assignment on the Missouri native’s 30th birthday.
The 28-year-old Misiewicz, who was expected to compete for a spot in the Royals bullpen, split last season between the Mariners and Kansas City. He went 1-2 with a 4.34 ERA with 27 strikeouts in 29 innings.
Misiewicz was expendable when the Royals bolstered their bullpen with a series of recent moves, trading outfielder Michael A. Taylor to the Twins and injury-prone shortstop Adalberto Mondesi to the Red Sox to net a trio of pitching prospects. The Royals also signed reliever Aroldis Chapman to a $3.75 million deal for 2023 in the hopes the seven-time All-Star can bounce back from a disappointing season with the Yankees.
Misiewicz has appeared in 119 games since making his debut in 2020 for Seattle. He is 6-9 with a 4.43 ERA but has been especially effective against left-handed hitters, allowing a .250 average to them.
