The Cardinals announced Friday that theyve signed righty to a minor league deal and invited him to major league spring training. Anderson, a client of Gaeta Sports Management, recently worked out for big league scouts to show his readine s after an injury-marred 2024 season. Ari Alexander of KPRC-2 that Anderson would earn $1.1MM in the majors. His contract contains an upward mobility clause that allows another team to add him to their Opening Day roster if hes not going to break camp with the Cardinals. Anderson also finished out the 2023 season on the injured list due to a shoulder strain. He began the 2022 season on the shelf while mending from an internal brace procedure the prior year, and his 22 campaign ended due to plantar fasciitis. In his injury-dotted big league career, Anderson has also mi sed due to a back strain and a forearm i sue. Its a laundry list of injuries, but Anderson has typically been excellent when healthy. Dating back to his 2019 MLB debut, hes pitched 158 1/3 major league innings and logged a 3.18 Keita Bates-Diop Jersey earned run average. Anderson has 39 holds and 10 saves in his career, and his rate stats are eye-catching: 31.6% strikeout rate, 7.3% walk rate and a gaudy 15.4% swinging-strike rate. The 34-year-old Anderson gives the Cardinals an upside play in their late-inning mix if he can stay healthy. He hasnt done that over the course of a full season since 2019, but theres no harm for the Cardinals in taking a look. A healthy Anderson would be a boon to the bullpen, and hes throwing well this summer hed be a natural trade chip as St. Louis looks to restock its farm system. Anderson has 5.094 years of major league service to his credit, so theres no surplus club control here. Hell reach six years of big league service with another 78 days in the majors, so hes very likely to end up a free agent at seasons end one way or another. The Cardinals bullpen heading into 2025 like their roster as a whole is largely unchanged. The club has reportedly rebuffed interest in star closer (and pending free agent) despite taking a step back to focus on player development. , , and are among the other options for manager Oli Marmol. If Anderson makes the club, it seems fair to expect that hell factor into setup duties and perhaps even get a crack at closing games if Helsley is moved or lands on the injured list himself. Sean Elliott Jersey