Former Toronto Blue Jays left handed pitcher to the St Louis Cardinals

St. Louis announced Tuesday that it acquired the left-hander, and the timing is the part that jumps out. Multiple reports have it as a Cleveland-to-St. Louis cash deal, meaning Toronto isn't the direct trade partner today.

That matters for Jays fans because Bruihl was just in their bullpen mix a few months ago. Toronto designated him for assignment in December after a roster squeeze, then moved him for cash considerations soon after.

This moves comes after Bruihl was traded to the Guardians then designated for assignment once again.

Bruihl, 28, worked 13.2 innings for Toronto in 2025 with a 5.27 ERA, plus 18 strikeouts against seven walks. He owns a 4.72 career ERA across 94 big-league games, mostly as a matchup reliever.

From a baseball fit standpoint, the Cardinals get a controllable lefty who can steal tough outs when the schedule stacks left-handed bats. Bruihl's value is in angles and contact management more than pure velocity, so usage matters.

For the Blue Jays, the takeaway is simpler, the front office chose roster flexibility over waiting out the DFA clock. If you're trying to keep a bullpen fresh across 162, those fringe spots get decided fast, and Bruihl was the odd man out.

Now he gets a clean slate in St. Louis, and Toronto turns the page on a brief, bumpy stint that still helped them cover innings when depth was thin. The next milestone is Spring Training, where Bruihl just needs a couple sharp outings to stick.